The Nats Blog

Temporary lack of updates

2009-03-26T07:08:00.000-07:00

We apologize for the lack of updates, The Nats Blog is currently in the midst of a major upgrade.

After one year of running the blog and watching it grow, we were approached by several websites about joining various sports blogging networks. After much research we decided to go a different way and inquire with a site that hadn’t contacted us, Bloguin.com. Bloguin offers the best opportunities in web traffic, revenue, and design, which translates to you as the best The Nats Blog possible. It’s our belief that this transition will not only allow The Nats Blog to provide the best content and interaction possibilities, but it will also broaden our community and readership.

The Forum

One of the benefits to the new blogging platform we are using is it provides us with the ability to have a forum. Hopefully for us it means that readers will get more involved in the blog, and hopefully for you it means that you can have a well read platform to express your own feelings, views, or hopes for the Nationals. I have always felt that the most useful role of sports blogs is to be a community tool for the fans. Too often mainstream media calls the shots on public policy, fashion, and the popularity of various forms of entertainment. Sports is the one arena we can take control as simple fans however, because through powerful sports blogs the fans voices become powerful.

As Metsblog.com used to refer to their readers as, “one million general managers,” I hope that The Nats Blog community can grow to be something similar.

Other Upgrades

The Bloguin platform allows for a lot more flexibility in how The Nats Blog bring information to you, and how you can become a bigger part of The Nats Blog itself. Soon when we get more settled, you will see different modules and other various ways to interact on the blog. I hope you explore all the possibilities.

Soon The Nats Blog will also be adding some other writers to the Staff. If you are interested, or would just like to send in a fan article here and there, shoot us an email at TheNatsBlog.com@gmail.com

Shawn Hill is back on the market

2009-03-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

Less than a week after the Nationals released the oft-injured starting pitcher, Shawn Hill is already in negotiations with at least two teams in an attempt to get back on a 40 man roster.

According to the New York Daily News, the 27 year old starter is talking with the division rival New York Mets about possibly becoming a depth pitcher for the club. This means our former presumptive ace would start out in their Triple-A system and if healthy, and effective, would work his way up to the big league staff.

This in effect would be an excellent move for New York who's back end of the rotation is in dire need of help. When The Nats Blog went down to spring training we saw a

myriad of starting pitchers paraded about by the Mets, all vying for the last few spots. Possible candidates include former all-star Freddy Garcia, American import form Japan-Brandon Knight, and yes

Livan likes-his-money Hernandez (he makes a lot they say). The signing of Hill would give them a potential above average, young starting pitcher who can help them in the second half of the season. The only catch is Hill needs to be healthy. While this was a risk that was too big for the Nationals to rest their season hopes on, it would really be a no lose, all gain situation for the orange and blue.

Hill is also reportedly talking with the Toronto Blue Jays about a possible spot on the teams starting rotation. This would be a much more attractive position for Hill as he is a native Canadian (Eh!?) and he would get a chance to prove he still can be an effective starter in the majors.

Nats sign Joe Beimel

2009-03-20T07:59:00.001-07:00

Nats signed Joe Beimel earlier this week to bolster up their bullpen. Manager Manny Acta immediately named him their set-up man in front of Joel Hanrahan, providing the Nationals with a solid one-two punch for late in games.

Last year for the Dodgers Beimel pitched 71 games posting a 2.02 ERA in 49 innings.

Shawn Hill released

2009-03-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

The Nationals released former ace Shawn Hill today, saying that they wanted to give him an opportunity with other organizations.

Washington Post Nationals Journal:

"Manager Manny Acta called Hill's release "probably the toughest decision I've had to make since I've been here."

Hill, 27, had spent the previous three years in constant comeback mode, trying to recover from, at varying points, a shoulder injury, elbow problems, and forearm tightness. Through all of it, the Nationals stuck with the right-handed sinkerballer, drafted in 2000, back when the organization was in Montreal. Always, the Nationals spoke of Hill's potential, his ability -- if healthy -- to anchor a rotation. Assistant General Manager Mike Rizzo grew tired of waiting, even though Hill, in an exhibition start on Monday, threw one scoreless inning and looked healthy."

It's pretty bad if you are so unhealthy that the Nationals wont even consider you for their rotation anymore. Hill had been constantly hurt and with his injuries, constantly disappointing. Perhaps it is a good thing for the clubs moral to no longer be forever waiting for Hill's health to catch up to his abilities and potential. Look at the effect Ben Sheets injurires has had on the Brewers. Whenever he was healthy they played well all around, whenever he was hurt the team became dejected and fell apart. Even with Sabathia this last year they struggled after Sheets got hurt.

From the Times..

2009-03-18T08:06:00.001-07:00

Jay-Z's spring domination

2009-03-18T07:10:00.000-07:00

Jordan Zimmermann, or as some are now calling him 'Jay-Z,' has certainly been the toast of the Nationals spring training camp. He was welcomed into Viera with open arms and hearts as he was named by both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus as the teams best prospect and ace of the future. Since then he has showed that he may not just be the future, but the present.

Initial projections had Zimmermann pitching the first half of the year in AAA to tune up and make sure he was ready for the jump to Washington. But as he has seemed to do his entire young career, Zimmermann disagreed. The young righty has instead been absolutely dominant, pitching 12 innings without allowing an earned run.

At this point it is hard to imagine Zimmermann not earning the number four or five spot in the Nats rotation to begin 2009. Experts had him as a mid-season call up on March 1st, but less than a month later some are considering him a serious Rookie of the Year candidate. There is always reason to be speculative of spring training performance, but if you can put any stock in them, Zimmermann is arguably the best pitcher in Florida right now.

Where Zimmerman Stands On The Spring League Leaderboard:

-Tied for the lead with Micah Owings with 16 K's, has pitched two less innings and has allowed two less hits than Owings

-Has pitched the most scoreless innings in baseball, 12.1

-Among pitchers with 12 or more innings pitched, he has the second lowest WHIP with 0.65

-Among pitchers with 12 or more innings pitched, he has the lowest opponent OBP with .178

-Among pitchers with 12 or more innings pitched, he has the highest K/9 ratio with 11.68

-Among pitchers with 12 or more innings pitched, he has the lowest H/9 ratio with 4.38

Scouts have never been overwhelmingly high on Zimmermann. In fact my first impression upon seeing our ace of the future was not exactly positive. He looks small on the mound with a supposive 6'1" frame, and his delivery looks more like a middle reliever than a dominant starter. Using the eye test alone, it's no surprise that it is hard for scouts to get high on him.

Keep in mind, thats the same eye test that has given Daniel Cabrerra a career.

Zimmermann's numbers however can't be disputed by any scout. His entire rise through the minors has been filled by surprise performance after surprise performance. Look for Zimmermann to have his struggles, but expect him to have a solid and full rookie year.

This is our leadoff hitter?

2009-03-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

Earlier this spring we looked at who was the best option for the Nationals to bat in the leadoff spot. After much analysis, looking at all possibilities including Lastings Milledge and even Adam Dunn, we reluctantly decided that Cristian Guzman was the guy for the job.

Guzman historically had been the type of player to swing freely, and while this hack-attack mentality results in a lot of hits and a decent average, it doesn't really translate well to the leadoff role. Leadoff hitters need to be selective in their approach. The more pitches they see in an opening at bat shows the rest of the line up what a pitcher is bringing on a given day. Most importantly, a leadoff hitter must be able to get on base. While one way of doing this is obviously getting hits, even the best hitters in baseball can only get a hit 33% of the time. The most efficient way any ball player can get on base is by using the threat of drawing the walk to his ability. The best players in the league can get on base above 40% of the time, but all of them use the power of the walk.

This is a problem. Because through 10 games and 31 at bats this spring, Guzman has walked a grand total of 0 times.

I'll repeat that, Cristian Guzman has 0 walks this spring. The player who's job it is to get on base better than just about anyone on the team is doing the worst job thus far. Now some may argue its a small sample size, that it's only spring training and he may just be trying to get his hacks in. But isn't this the time that a traditional hack-attack guy should be working on his new patient approach?

We were sold the idea of a new Cristian Guzman. One that had laser eye surgery, one that would walk at a higher rate, and one that would play the field like he actually looked like he wanted to be there. Let's hope that this poor spring showing is just an apparition and that Guzman will be the Guzman we saw in 2008.

Well...at least he's honest

2009-03-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

A quote sent in from Washington Post writer Matthew Brooks on Julian Taverez's decision to sign with the Nationals:

“Why did I sign with the Nationals?” Tavarez said on Sunday. “When you go to a club at 4 in the morning, and you’re just waiting, waiting, a 600-pounder looks like J. Lo. And to me this is Jennifer Lopez right here. It’s 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. So, Nationals: Jennifer Lopez to me.”

Pitching roundup

2009-03-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

Jordan Zimmermann

When camp started we said Jordan Zimmermann would have to be just about perfect in order to make the rotation. The young prospect has exceeded expectations and risen up the ranks faster than anyone has expected, unfortunately such a rise usually translates into a rushed result which can take several years to fix. Zimmermann however just keeps getting better and succeeding, no matter where he is. He has been one of the top pitchers in Florida this spring among any team and is being thrown around in the National League Rookie of the Year talks. Right now it seems very hard for the Nats to keep him out of the rotation come April.

Spring Stats: 12 IP, 0 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 16K

Collin Balester

Many expected Balester to take the 4th of 5th starting spot for Washington this season, especially over the younger Jordan Zimmermann. Balester has been a strong prospect in the Nats system for some time now, and after a good introduction to the majors last year many expected him to take the next step. Balester is struggling however, and may not find his way onto the opening day roster the way he is throwing this March.

Spring Stats: 11 IP, 8 ER, 11 H, 6 BB, 6K

Daniel Cabrerra

Cabrerra has been his good old shakey-self. After the talented arm came over from Baltimore, the Nats coaching staff figured they'd turn him into something actually more than just an arm by the end of March. Unfortunately for Cabrerra, and Nats fans, it appears its just the same old song; buckets of talent and not any idea how to turn it into success. So far Cabrerra has been all over in spring training, but the consistent thing has been his lack of control and his high amount of hits given up. He will make the rotation purely due to the amount he's getting paid, but whether he will succeed is up in the air.

Spring Stats: 7.2 IP, 4 ER, 12 H, 3 BB, 4K

Most Hated Players in the NBA

2009-03-16T06:46:00.000-07:00

As I have mentiond on here before, The Nats Blog will soon be joining the Bloguin network, a group of great sports and video game blogs coming together to bring the best content available to sports fans.

Anyways, The Nats Blog helped contribute to this great article for the Blazers Blog, Bust a' Bucket, listing the NBA's top 10 most hated players. The good news is, no Wizards made the list, probably because people forgot Gilbert Arenas was even in the league. The bad news is our number one choice, Lebron, didn't make the list either.

Check it out.

MASN needs commercials like these

2009-03-14T14:10:00.000-07:00

The Chief heads to Washington...Seattle, Washington

2009-03-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

The former Chief and closer for the Washington Nationals signed a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners today. Despite having not pitched in 10 months, the Mariners believe that Cordero will be able to build his arm back to what it was several years ago and fill the role as their everyday closer.

The 27 year-old Cordero last pitched for Washington in late April of last year. At the time he was trying to battle back from an arm injury which had bothered him the year before, however the closer had lost significant velocity on his already notoriously slow fastball. After one outing when Cordero struggled to top 82 MPH on the radar-gun, Kasten and Bowden decided it was time to put him on the DL to rehabilitate his arm. He never made it back to the mound for the Nationals.

During his tenure for the Nationals/Expos Cordero saved 128 games in 142 chances from 2003-2007. His weaker fastball was made up for by his outstanding change up and solid curve. In 2005 he electrified D.C during the teams improbable run to first place as he set the pace for the club with his up tempo personality, flat brimmed cap, and led the Major Leagues with 47 saves.

Reports have Cordero's fastball still down 7-10 mph off of what it once was, but he says that he hopes to bring it back to the 89-90 MPH range. Cordero says he is currently at about 75-80 percent and should be able to assume the role of the Mariners closer by early June.

Nationals sign Julian Tavarez

The Nats signed veteran righty Julian Tavarez today to compete for both a spot in the bullpen and a possible job as a spot starter. The signing fills an important hole on the Nationals roster...pitching...everywhere. Hopefully for the Nats, Tavarez's versatility will help their extremely poor pitching staff by being able to fill in wherever needed.

While he is no longer the pitcher he once was, Tavarez has been both an effective starter and reliever in his 15 year career. Many fans will remember him being an important part of the Redsox bullpen in 2006.

The Nats Blog-Back from Florida

2009-03-12T06:06:00.000-07:00

In our last game of the trip we saw the Nats take on the Mets yet again. There was a special treat in store however, as we were lucky enough to see the Nats number one prospect, Jordan Zimmermann, get the start on the mound.

Zimmermann has been highly touted by both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus. The young righty combines a sharp moving fastball with a solid change and curve, all of which he can locate well. We were able to sit right behind home plate, in about the fifth or sixth row to see him pitch for the first time in person. A few things surprised me.

On the mound Zimmermann looked surprisingly short. He is listed at 6 foot 2 but to the naked eye it looked as if that number may have been falsified. His delivery and mechanics looked smooth both from the windup and the stretch. He had little to no wasted movement and while his frame was not intimidating, his confidence on the mound seemed to be.

Zimmermann's fastball showed consistent speed but not overwhelming pop. It sat in the 93-94 range and not a single Mets batter got solid contact on it(although to be fair, the only Major League bats in the line up were Ryan Church and Marlon Anderson who both had hits off Zimmermann). His curveball seemed to fool hitters enough to make them hesitate but not enough to make them miss. Three of his four strikeouts came on freezing fastballs well located on the corners.

In this outing, against what was probably the worst line up he saw all spring, Zimmermann gave up his first base runners, six of them in three and a third innings. While he pitched himself into jams early in innings, the young righty was able to work his way out of all of them to lengthen his scoreless innings streak to 8 1/3rd this spring. The fact that such a young pitcher didn't lose his cool in high pressure situations such as those is impressive. Zimmermann was able to bare down and get the out when he needed.

Detwiler vs. Zimmermann

After getting a chance to see both of these young prospects pitch, the whole picture is starting to become clearer. When you read in Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America that Detwiler has better stuff than Zimmermann you don't really believe it until you see it. While Detwiler was getting shelled this spring you could see how he has the potential to be an ace pitcher if he ever puts it together. He has the size (6'5") Zimmermann doesn't, more power to his fastball, and his curve seemed to have better movement.

But then again this is just a microcosm of the great baseball debate, performance based evaluation or physical potential based? If you compare the numbers:

Zimmermann 8.3 IP, 0ER, 4H, 10K, 2 BB

Detwiler: 3 IP, 5 ER, 6H, 0K, 7 BB

It's no contest. The good news for the Nats however is that if they both can make the transition to the majors, they could provide a powerful one-two-three punch atop the rotation with John Lannan by 2011.

The Nats Blog in Florida, Day 2

2009-03-09T21:22:00.000-07:00

The Nats game wasn't until 7 today, so we made the hike down to Port St. Lucie to watch the Mets take on the Orioles at Tradition Field. Tradition field is alive with just that. Draped in orange and blue the Mets fans come out in droves, the stadium comes alive with a charisma that only a historic franchise can infuse. It is a beautiful example of what a baseball community should be and hopefully what young Viera can grow into.

Our seats were in the last row behind home plate, which in spring training translates to about the 25th row. Behind us was the owners box, and to our surprise there sat not only Mets owner Fred Wilpon and general manager Omar Minaya, but also their guests Dolphins head coach Tony Sporano and Dophins executive and legendary football head coach Bill Parcells.

While the celebrities enjoyed one another, we enjoyed what turned

out to be an excellent game.

The Orioles jumped out to an early lead as Mets starter Brandon Knight could not get anything but loud outs. Knight is attempting an MLB comeback after a few stints pitching in Japan, but unfortunately for this journeyman it looks like that may be the only place he belongs. An eventual homer by Ty Wiggington put the Orioles up big and it seemed like the game was in hand as the O's turned

the game over to their reserves.

Up four in the eighth, the O's gave up a grand slam to a selective Nick Evans to tie the game up. The Mets retired the top of the 9th in order, and following an incredibly bad at-bat by the aforementioned Wilmer Flores, Rene Rivera surprised the entire stadium by crushing game winning home run to center.

Nationals vs. Astros (written by Papa Yoder and Uncle Kit)

Anderson Hernandez started tonight in the leadoff spot. Are the Nats serious? Hernandez had a .268 on-base percentage in over 500 plate appearences in AAA last year, and the Nats are expecting him to be a leadoff hitter? They are letting his couple of hot weeks at the end of last year cloud their judgement. The real question is, who will they turn to after they give up on Andy?

Austin Kearns showed that there is still life in a moribund bat that has been left for dead by some fans by blasting a long shot out of the park in left-center. Kearns homer capped what was a great offensive outburst at the start of the game which gave the Nats an early big lead.

This big lead allowed us to see some young guns that we otherwise might not be able to. The Nats brought in some of their backup infielders such as journeyman Joel Guzman. It appears Guzman may be playing himself out of whatever prospect status he has left. The former shortstop, who now plays a sluggish first base, couldn't handle a one hopper that would have completed a nice play in the hole by Ian Desmond, the Bats current best prospect at shortstop. Guzman also looked overmatched at the plate, despite some questionable Astros pitching.

While the Astros slowly chipped at what was once a big lead, Manny Acta decided to put in the Nats first overall selection in the Rule-5 Draft, reliever Terrell Young. Young, fighting for a position in the bullpen as a possible set up man, came in throwing hard but nowhere near the zone. He finally settled but not before allowing the tying run in the top of the eighth. Two innings later, well into free baseball, the Nats won the game with a walk off homer by Mr. Nobody Brad Eldred.

It was a day for obscure heroes. After watching the Mets come from four runs down in the eighth inning to beat the Orioles in a game apped by the walk off homer hit by Rene Rivera (who has been bouncing between AA and AAA since 2004), we watched our second walk off homer of the day with Eldred.

Brad Eldred? Who is Brad Eldred?

Brad Eldred is a non-roster invitee to Nats camp, who hit 35 homers with 100 RBI in the International League last year. The Nats signed the 6'5" right-handed hitter as a minor league free agent in December. Unfortunately Eldred is 29 years old and has been stuck at AAA since 2004. Twenty-eight year olds like Eldred, who strike out five times as often as they walk in AAA are not prospects. Worst of all, Eldred is primarily a first baseman who occasionally takes his glove to the outfield. Thats right- the Nats have still another power-hitting firstbaseman/outfielder with problems making contact. Eldred's walk off homer will be a moment to remember - even in spring training, but if the Nats end up giving many regular season plate appearances to Eldred, you will know that something has gone terribly wrong with their season.

On an aside we got to see Northern Virginia native and former high school baseball opponent of mine, Brandon Snyder, take batting practice with the Orioles. Snyder was the Orioles first overall pick in 2005 but has had trouble staying healthy/finding a position.

The Nats Blog in Florida, Day 1

2009-03-08T17:47:00.000-07:00

Well the video isn't going to work; software problems. My apologies, you'll get to see some good video highlights when we get back.

We left D.C at 9 A.M and walked through the gates of Space Coast Stadium just in time to see the first pitch of the 1 o'clock game. On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, with the division rival New York Mets in town, little Viera, Florida was alive with baseball. Cars lined up for up to two miles outside the stadium up until game time and in all of my experience in spring training, I have never seen a game that packed.

We walked in as John Lannan threw the first pitch. We were lucky, the Nationals had their entire starting line up in the game (sans Adam Dunn and Jesus Flores). Johnson, Belliard, Guzman, Zimmerman, Dukes, Milledge, and Kearns all got the start and all played 4-6 innings. It was ironic to see all the Nats starters in the game, for one because that never happens in spring training, and secondly because almost every single Met that started last year is playing for some nation in the World Baseball Classic.

What we saw:

Lannan looked like his old sharp self. He allowed no earned runs in two innings, and looked to over power the inexperienced Mets line up. His fast ball looks like it may have gained a mile or two per hour and his change and curve looked to be locating well.

As Jose Reyes is playing for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball classic, the Mets have a gigantic whole at shortstop during spring training. For today, at least, they filled that hole with 17 year old super-prospect Wilmer Flores. The young shortstop, who projects to be a corner outfielder when its all said and done looked incredibly overmatched playing against major league players. At 17, that of course isn't surprising. However it certainly was interesting to see such a raw player exposed like that. It's truly a rare occurrence to see these super-prospects play in person because of how sheltered they are and because they often don't get many at bats against the leaguers (Flores played

the entire game).

Baseball Prospectus projects Flores to be a Miguel Cabrera type player when he fills out. However after seeing him today it is easy to say that he is a good 3 or 4 years away from making any impact in a Mets uniform.

The Nats Blog heads to Florida

2009-03-07T20:31:00.000-08:00

Pappa Yoder and I have our bags packed and are set to fly down to Vierra, Florida this weekend to spend three days in what may be baseball's purest state, spring training. This isn't our first trip down south to see our favorite ball players train, in fact it has been an annual pilgrimage for us. Up until this trip however, I have only been roaming the fields of Florida as a fan, but now for the first time I will be down there as a reporter to bring all you Nats Fans to the action.

The Nats Blog In Florida

While down south we'll be bringing our readers several different things. First if you look to your right, we've added Twitter to the right side panel. This means that we will be able to update from our cell phones on everything that is going on in camp and in games. So if you can't watch the game or listen to it, at least you can read our 140 character or less rants about it.

Also make sure to check in for nightly video blogs!

Old habits tend to die hard

2009-03-06T08:05:00.001-08:00

Last season the Nats entered the 2008 campaign assuming Shawn Hill would be their ace in the hole. There was one problem, forearm pain. Every time he would pitch, there it would be, forearm pain. Not elbow tendentious, not a torn rotator cuff...just forearm pain.

He said he could pitch through it last year, but a 1-5 record with a 5.83 ERA disagreed; and so did Manny Acta. Hill tried to return to the mound several times in 2008 but just couldn't get past that nagging injury. Finally the Nats decided to shut him down, and give him a long time to rest and heal-up.

Now, no less than two innings into the 2009 training camp, forearm pain.

Stick a fork in him Nats fans, he's done.

Jordan Zimmerman

JZIM on the other hand has another habit he can't seem to kill; impressing people by overachieving. No one expected this 23 year old stud to dominate single and double A last season en route to being named the Nationals top prospect by just about every publication.

He's doing it again.

So far this spring the young pitcher has been absolutely perfect. Coming into camp, many, including The Nats Blog, suggested that he pitch at least half a season down in triple A to ensure he gets good seasoning and wasn't rushed. You can't ignore numbers like this however. Numbers like this give an unknown third basemen like Albert Pujols a job for an injured Fernando Tatis, or a troubled Josh Hamilton a shot at making the Cincinnati Reds. Yeah, it's early as hell...but look what he's done so far:

Jordan Zimmerman, SP
2 G, 5IP, 0H, 0R 0BB, 6K

I know he's a Philly, but this is funny

2009-03-05T20:31:00.001-08:00

Who to bat where, challenging conventional thought -Batting Second

2009-03-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

As this is our second segment in this series, I suggest you read the first segment on who the Nats should leadoff, to catch up.

But if you're lazy here's the summary: While Cristian Guzman is by no means a typical leadoff hitter, the combination of his growing maturity, laser eye surgery, and lack of Nationals options make him the best candidate to leadoff in 2009. Other options discussed were Lastings Milledge for his athleticism, Anderson Hernandez for his late season success last year, and Adam Dunn for his surprising speed and ability to get on base.

But now the question arises of who Manny Acta should, not will, bat behind Guzman at the leadoff spot. The number two hitter has several important responsibilities, and many believe he can be the most crucial in putting runs on the board. We have to look no further than to see what Derek Jeter has done for the Yankees throughout the years, or the stunning effect Dustin Pedroia had for the Redsox offense last year.

Most importantly the number two hitter needs to be able to put the bat on the ball. If the leadoff hitter gets on base, it's the number two hitters job to get him to second or third so that the three and four hitter can do damage. In the past this meant the second hitter had to be ready to bunt, but in todays game it means that he has to handle hit and runs, hit to the opposite side of the field, and run the bases just as well as anyone on the team.

So who fits that role on the Washington Nationals?

Lastings Milledge

Milledge has the potential to bat just about anywhere in the line up. He combines power with speed, the ability to hit for average without sacrificing power or patience. He has good bat control for such a young player and his strikeout rate went down as the season progressed. According to conventional thought this is the best place for Milledge because he will be hitting in front of Zimmerman, Dunn, and Dukes. Their power will be an asset to him seeing good pitches to hit, and his speed will be an asset for them to hit him in.

Last year Milledge batted second in 17 games. He put up a line of .269/.320/.388. While those numbers aren't very impressive we have to remember he was often batting in that spot when the team was having its worst batting struggles. Zimmerman was hurt, Kearns and Pena couldn't bat above .200, and Dukes forgot how to swing a bat. While it's troubling that he hasn't had much tangible success at this spot... athletically and in terms of tools, he may be the best option for the Nats.

Elijah Dukes

Elijah Dukes truly is a puzzle. It's not clear what type of player he will develop to be exactly. At six foot one 240 pounds he has the frame of a power hitter. But his fluidity and

speed would have you think that he has future as a center fielder who will hit for a high average. The Nats would probably prefer that he develop more into a power hitting corner outfielder, but they will take anything they can get from a guy who was basically discarded by Tampa Bay.

Dukes saw plenty of action batting in the second spot for the Nationals in 2008. In 23 games he put up a line of .319/.413/.500. He hit three homers, 14 RBI, and five stolen bases. To put it simply, he excelled. Putting numbers like that up for an entire season would make Dukes an all star at any position. While Dukes may be more prone to strikeouts than Milledge, he makes up for it with his higher average and on base percentage. Statistically Dukes is the best option for the two spot...but the Nationals may want to bat him further back in the order to develop his power.

Ryan Zimmerman

Zimmerman has been long crowned our teams franchise hitter and has been bolstered in the number three spot in the line up for the last three years. But is he a true number three hitter? Sure his numbers have been deflated by lack of solid protection in the line up, but will he actually translate to a number three hitter on a championship team?

At the three spot in his career he has put up a line of .278/.339/.457. He has averaged 22 homers and 92 RBI per 162 games, which is very solid. But a number three hitter has to be the most pure hitter on the team. While .278 with 20 homers and close to 100 RBI's is great, its hardly anything from pure. The Nats might be better off if they decide to move Zimmerman to the two slot where he can be a little bit more liberal about the pitches he swings at.

Conclusion

The Nats have much better options to bat in the second spot than they do the leadoff. All three options of Milledge, Dukes, and Zimmerman would be sought after by any team. While Milledge may project to be a better number two hitter down the road, I think the Nats best option is Elijah Dukes. Numbers don't lie and Dukes number two slot stats are excellent. If he develops into a power hitter that outgrows the two spot, so be it...but in 2009 the Nats should bat Dukes number 2.

Mike Rizzo to take over baseball opperations

2009-03-04T10:38:00.000-08:00

It was announced today that Mike Rizzo will take control of the day-to-day operations of the Washington Nationals after the resignation of Jim Bowden. While Stan Kasten had announced earlier that he would be in charge until a replacement general manager could be found, he took a step back today by putting Rizzo in the lead spot as interim GM.

Kasten assured that he will maintain final say on all baseball decisions.

"We've had enough instability in the last couple of weeks. I like stability. I don't like interim titles, by nature, because they suggest instability. So I'd rather just keep things in place while we proceed-especially since we have our functions down pretty well."

Mike Rizzo had been an assistant GM and vice president of baseball operations for the Nationals since he came over from the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2006.

Is Stan the man?

2009-03-02T12:18:00.000-08:00

Stan Kasten has an important job to take care of this spring; find a new general manager. In the meantime however it seems Stan has named himself the man in charge of the front office, and he wants to make some deals.

Deals, trades, signings...you know...the things that quality ball clubs do to move towards the betterment of their team. The thing a club should do if they lose more than 100 games in a year, to try and....get better?

Kasten says he wants to sign Zimmerman to a long term deal (duh), and he is looking to make trades.

What trades or moves would you like to see Kasten make?

Nats young arms sling into spring

2009-03-02T10:11:00.000-08:00

Five games into spring and the Nats are starting to get into the swing of things. Coaches are getting to see what kind of talent they have in camp, and players are starting to see where they stack up against the competition.

This early into the spring however, performance is pretty arbitrary. Some pitchers may simply be using their outings to work on a specific pitch or location, repeating it over and over. Some hitters may be dedicating an entire at-bat to hitting fastballs to right field, or to learning how to sit on a curveball.

What we can try to decipher is what pitchers have come to camp prepared, and who may have a leg up in the horse-race for the Nats rotation.

John Lannan: 2 IP, 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 BB, 1K

-Lannan is clearly the teams ace, it looks like he came into camp ready to improve on what was a great rookie season.

Colin Balester:2 IP, 0 Runs, 1 Hit, 1 BB, 1 K

-Balester got a taste of the bigs last season and is looking to make the team as an important part of the rotation. If he can continue to pitch with good control and get major league hitters out, it will hard for the Nats to keep him off the roster.

Jason Bergmann: 2 IP, 0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0BB, 0 K

-Bergmann needs to be successful in camp this year after his up and down 2008 campaign. The Nats as well as most of baseball is just about ready to give on him as a starter, so if he wants to salvage his career...this is the time.

Daniel Cabrera-2 IP, 2 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 BB, 0 K

-This isn't what anyone wanted to see from Cabrera in his first outing. The story with this kid has been the same for the last 5 years, he's got immense talent but can't put it together. The Nats signed him hoping they'd get lucky with him putting it together, doesn't look good so far. But again...it's early.

Gustavo Chachin-2 IP, 0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 BB, 0 K

-Chachin's performance is a good sign for the Nats. The team picked Chachin up on a chance after his reconstructive arm surgery. While I haven't heard reports on his velocity in his first outing, he has always had good stuff. If his arm is back he could be a great addition to the club.

Jordan Zimmerman-2IP, 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 BB, 3K's

-Zimmerman is probably the most interesting situation in Nats camp. He is the team's top pitching prospect but could probably use another year in the minors for seasoning. It appears he has come into camp this year blazing as he scorched through the Astro's line up in his first outing...it may be hard to keep him off the roster.

Tyler Clippard- 1 IP, 3 Runs, 2 Hits, 2 BB's, 0 K

-Clippard was a top pitching prospect for the Nationals no more than a year ago but he has not been able to get it done at the major league level, or even triple A. His awful start to camp is a bad omen if he ever hopes to reach his major league potential.

Ross Detwiler- 0 IP, 3 Runs, 1 Hit, 4 BB's, 0K

-Well so much for Detwiler getting his confidence back. His stuff and resume is so good, he just can not make it past double A....disappointing

Shawn Hill- 1 IP, 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 1 BB, 0K

-Recovering from arm surgery, its good to see he didn't get hurt in his one inning. It's a wait and see game with Hill, if he's 100% he's real hard to hit.

FFFREEEEEDDDDOOOOOMMM!!!!

2009-03-01T07:31:00.000-08:00

ESPN.COM is reporting that as of this morning Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden resigned citing, 'false accusations.' Bowden had been a part of an investigation into a bonus skimming scandal involving Latin American Prospects.

"He maintained his innocence in the matter, but said Sunday, "I've become a distraction."

The dictator stepped down.

"My resignation is based upon my realization that my ability to properly represent the Washington Nationals has been compromised because of false allegations contains in the press," Bowden said in a statement. "I am disappointed by the media reports regarding investigations into my professional activities. There have been no changes made, and has been no indication that parties have found any wrongdoing on my part.

"At the same time, while I have done nothing wrong, I place greater value on the love, respect, adn best interests of my family, friends, and the game of baseball - -that I've served lovingly and faithfully for close to 25 years -- and, the reputation and future of the Washington Nationals, which I'm proud to have been a part of since its inception in 2004."

And so the saga of the young naive baseball franchise and the manipulative, moronic general manager ends. For four years the Washington Nationals have wanted nothing but their freedom from the tyrannical dictator in their front office. It had been an abusive relationship, one in which the fans had no voice, no representation, and no support for any of the decisions made about the future of their team.

Fans had wanted baseball for so long, they didn't care what the cost was to put a team on the field. Washington stood idly by as Jim Bowden was named the leader of our teams baseball operations, but what did the city know? It had been decades since there was baseball in the nations capital and a bad general manager couldn't do too much harm could he?

Oops.

Over the last four years Jim Bowden may have been the most detrimental general manager in all of baseball. Never mind his team's decreasing win-loss record, or the fact that we're a joke to many pundits and even coaches across the league. The real pain Bowden inflected was with his vendetta to recreate the 2003 Reds and his inability to capitalize on tradable talent when the time arose.

As Poppa Yoder said today

"One week from right now we will be in Space Coast stadium -- and Jim Bowden won't!"

The Nats need to fire Bowden now, not later

2009-02-26T12:35:00.000-08:00

Since Mr. Bowden has come to Washington he has made many moves that have raised many eye-brows. He has led the Nationals with an iron-fisted fortitude but without any clear direction. One thing has been for sure however, since 2005, Jim Bowden has been in charge.

While the team has been far from successful, the man has had some minor victories. His trade for Alfonso Soriano was a steal and brought excitement to RFK. He acquired Milledge for next to nothing and had a gamble payoff in the Rule-9 selection of Jesus Flores.

But while Bowden has made some positive moves in Washington, it is the moves that he has not made that are most damaging. He did not trade Alfonso Soriano when he was the hottest commodity in baseball. He did not trade Dimitri Young when it was clear Young had no future with the team. He didn't trade Cristian Guzman, Chad Cordero or Jose Guillen. He finally traded Jose Vidro, but long after his value was gone.

Where Bowden has destroyed this team is by not taking advantage of great opportunities. Too many times did the trade deadline pass with Jim Bowden stuck, keeping a player of no value to the teams future, when he could have added productive pieces to a championship puzzle.

This scandal gives Stan Kasten an opportunity he can not pass up. Firing Jim Bowden after he landed Adam Dunn would be otherwise impossible. This scandal however provides them the opportunity to make him the scapegoat, and get him out before he can hurt this team anymore.

The team can not afford to wait. Unlike many GM's, Jim Bowden has and will hurt this team during the season, not just in the winter. This club needs to start growing immediately. It's roster is absurdly unbalanced and we need a GM who will get in there, roll up his sleeves, and get to work. Not one who want's to hold on to his failed ideas.

Nats strongly considering change- Baseball Prospectus

2009-02-26T08:30:00.001-08:00

According to a Baseball Prospectus article by John Perrotto, the Nationals are currently considering firing general manager Jim Bowden following the bonus skipping scandal.

"The Nationals, according to multiple industry sources, are strongly considering firing general manager Jim Bowden and replacing him with Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava.

Bowden has been implicated in a bonus skimming scandal in the Dominican Republic and is reportedly being investigated by the FBI. Jose Rijo, the former major-league pitcher and a special assistant to Bowden, has taken leave of absence in wake of the allegations.

LaCava is highly regarded inside the game and has interviewed for GM jobs with Pirates and Mariners in the last year-and-a-half. Commissioner Bud Selig reportedly has given Nationals president Stan Kasten permission to hire LaCava without interviewing minority candidates because of the special circumstances of a change of GM being necessitated after spring training has started."

Rijo Bites the dust

2009-02-25T17:52:00.000-08:00

The Nationals have fired special assistant General Manager Jose Rijo today following the events and revelations stemming from Esmailyngate.

Rijo had been asked by Nationals officials to leave the teams training camp in Vierra, Florida earlier this week. However as the scandal has escalated past just the age-changing of Esmailyn Gonzalez and turned into what is now a full out investigation on the Nationals scouting and player development program, someone had to bite the dust.

As a result, the Nats will now close down their academy in the Dominican which had been operated out of Rijo's own baseball complex.

Heads are rolling, is Bowden next?

Who to bat where, challenging conventional thought - Leading off

2009-02-24T11:00:00.000-08:00

I think Nats fans have come to accept the idea that the first five spots of the Nationals lineup for 2009 are set in stone. Manager Manny Acta hasn't commented on any possible change from last season other than of course the addition of Adam Dunn, and the lineup in place at the end of the season seemed to work pretty well.

But what if Acta is wrong? Conventional thought, after all, did lead the Nats to a 102 loss season last year. Sure, Guzman has great speed and contact, but he gets on base at a very poor rate. Milledge gets good wood on the ball but will his power develop in the two spot? Who is really a better number three hitter, Zimmerman or Dunn? What about Elijah Dukes?

Lets start today by looking at the leadoff spot:

Cristian Guzman

Guzman was the Nats leadoff hitter for 40 games in 2008. While hitting in that spot he batted .337 while getting on base at .363, which are very solid numbers for any hitter. His slugging percentage (.448) however, was low enough to logically eliminate him from batting anywhere higher than two in the line up. His on base percentage at this spot, while good for most positions in the line up, is basically just average for a Major League leadoff hitter.

Guzman batted number two in the line up for the Nats in 83 games in 2008. He hit .310 while getting on base at only .340. He slugged about the same as he did in the one spot. Here we can see that in 2008 Guzman was more successful in the leadoff spot for the Nats as far as hitting is concerned. Ironically however, while Guzman got on base more often in the lead off spot, he scored more runs in the second spot. 1 run every 7 plate appearances in the #2 spot, and 1 run every 9.4 plate appearances at the leadoff spot.

2008 is a relatively small sample size however.

In Guzman's career while batting first he has hit .291/.326/.441. This is where he has earned his rap as a bad leadoff hitter. He's your typical swing at everything, high hits/high outs player. Players like these include: Juan Pierre, a younger Jose Reyes, and Luis Castillo.

In his career while batting second Guzman's batted .270/.303/.387, which is really pretty bad for anywhere in the line up. It seems for Guzman that while he has the hitters approach to bat second(lots of contact, low strikeouts), he performs far far better in the leadoff spot. Sadly for the Nats however, historically his performance as a leadoff hitter has been not good enough.

So why the success in 2008 while leading off for Guzman? You could argue it was simply the result of a small sample size within the shortstops career year. This is certainly possible. Another explanation however, could be that the Nats shortstop has matured and at the age of 30 has finally learned how to hit, how to take pitches, and how to get on base. This is possible, but lets not forget that in a full season last year Guzman only drew 23 walks in (Dunn drew 144 last year).

Lastings Milledge-

Milledge is the most athletic player on the Nationals roster. With this he probably one day will have the ability to bat at any spot in the order, which is why we saw him pretty much split evenly playing time at the number two, three, four, and five spot on all be it a weak team. Milledge is unique in that while he has the speed to be a leadoff hitter, but he also has the potential power to be a three, four or five.

Milledge has never hit in the lead off spot in his career, but this doesn't mean he shouldn't be considered. The young outfielder led the Nationals in steals in 2008, and while he only compiled one more walk than Guzman (in a good deal less plate appearances) his first and second half splits are promising for a young player. Overall Milledge put up a line of .268/.330/.402, but in the second half of 2008 in 58 games he had a line of .299/.355/.448. So we can see that Milledge certainly has the athleticism, and is growing the patience to be a potential leadoff. But is his mindset in the right place?

Let's not forget that he did spend time in the Mets organization under the tutelage of the best leadoff hitter of all time, Rickey Henderson. While whether or not spending time with Rickey will do anything positive for your overall mindset is debatable, but the guy knows how to hit in leadoff situations. This lead me to notice an odd trend with Lastings Milledge, he is one of the only players you will find who will hit better with no runners on base. In 287 at bats with no runners on Milledge batted a very solid .286/.337/.446. It's fascinating, he not only gets on base at a higher rate but hits for power better too. With no one on and no outs, a true leadoff situation, Milledge went .298/.346/.504, not bad for a 23 year old.

Adam Dunn

Chill out...just read it:

When Adam Dunn was in his second year for Cincinatti, then Reds manager Bob Bo

one (yes our Bob Boone) tossed out the idea of the 6 foot 6 super slugger leading off. He got a lot of flack for it, and while he gave it an attempt every now and then there was great pressure from the media and the fans to plug that big donkey back in the heart of the order. But Boone may have been on to something...

Dunn, especially in his younger days, was an extremely underrated baserunner. You wouldn't expect someone of his size to be a base stealing threat, but in the minors and his first full season in the majors he was stealing 20 bags a year. While today that may be a lot to expect from the 29 year old 275 pounder, he can still run around the bases like the former Texas University football recruit he was.

Fleet feet aside, the experiment to hit Dunn at leadoff had many progressive baseball fans excited. There were several basic principles behind the idea. First, hitters (except Milledge) hit better with runners on base, and Dunn gets on base better than just about anyone in baseball. Second, power hitters like Dunn hit for better power with the bases empty, because pitchers are more confident in trying to pitch to them. And lastly, if your team can score first you have a higher percentage of winning the ball game, and while batting your big bopper may make it more likely to score only one or two runs in the first as opposed to a big inning, it still gives you that early lead.

Dunn has only batted leadoff in 17 games and 56 at bats in his career. At that spot he only batted .217, but got on base at .371 and slugged .569 for a very impressive OPS of .961. While this is a small sample size, the most impressive stat for his leadoff experience is that out of his 12 hits, 7 of them were home runs. However no matter where he has batted in the line up, Dunn has gotten on base, which really is the most important thing for leadoff hitters. People point to Dunn's low batting average in 2008, but he actually got on base 38 more times than Guzman did in the same year.

Anderson Hernandez

Hernandez was a career back up infielder for the Mets who got by on the fact that he had a slick glove and nothing else. Early on the Mets hoped he would develop into a career long double play partner with franchise cornerstone Jose Reyes, however his inconsistency at the plate caused them to give up and acquire the veteran Luis Castillo. The Nats acquired

Hernandz late in 2008 and during his short time in Washington produced incredibly well, almost all but securing himself the second base job in D.C for 2009.

During his 28 game stint Hernandez put up a line of .333/.407/.383, proving Hernandez as a true slap hitting second basemen. In 11 of those games he batted leadoff for the Nats and excelled even more, to the tune of .360/.429/.420. He was a natural! If small sample sizes tell us anything, and of course they do, Hernandez is on his way to be the best leadoff hitter in history. Sadly, some Nats fans would have you to believe this.

So what should we think about Hernandez? The guy came over after not getting much chance to perform for a division rival and flat out excelled. Hernandez then went on to absolutely dominate the Dominican Winter league in 2008/2009, almost leading the league in batting and showing some serious power. So yes, it's possible that this 26 year old just needed a change of scenery and is finally coming into his own. We have seen this before, a player was a career disappointment for one organization and a star for another.

But a look at Hernandez's minor league stats may suggest otherwise. In 2005 Hernandez totaled between high A and double A for a line of .315/.357/.421, however the very next year he couldn't produce the same type of numbers, batting an abysmal .246/.282/.291 in trippe A (this is when the Mets acquired Castillo). In 2007 it looked like Hernandez may have finally figured it out, batting .301/.339/.397, but again the very next year he couldn't hit himself out of the minors batting .203/.262/.307 before his inevitable trade to Washington.

Boys and girls, it seems like what we have here is your typical streak hitter. Great one year, awful the next, totally a matter of luck. I could be wrong, I hope Hernandez comes out and bats .280 and stays a Major Leaguer, but history points to probably not.

Analysis

Sadly, as we have proven here today, while Cristian Guzman is by no means a desired leadoff hitter he is probably the best option for the Nationals. Milledge could possibly out perform him but we of course want Milledge to develop into a power hitting 30/30 outfielder, so we can't compromise that by moving him up to the number one slot. Dunn would certainly be an exciting change of pace, and probably be more productive as a leadoff hitter than Guzman but we desperately need his bat in the middle. Someone on this team needs to be able to give protection to Zimmerman and Dukes and with limited options it has to be him. And Anderson Hernandez appears to be an apparition, and at 5-9 170 he may not have the wheels to bat leadoff.

So what do you think? Who bats leadoff in 2009?

Bye bye Odalis

2009-02-23T11:44:00.000-08:00

Well..Kasten must read The Nats Blog because the day after we blasted him for his handling of the problems in spring training he at least did something. It was reported today that the Nationals have officially released starting pitcher Odalis Perez for refusing to report to training camp. It was a good call...and it's not too clear what Perez will do now. He might be managed even worse than the Nats front office.

So who's in charge here, really?

2009-02-22T09:21:00.001-08:00

Spring training has only been underway for about a week and already peaceful little space coast stadium seems ready to take off.

Everything seemed to be going so well when the club finally got a free agent signed, Adam Dunn, for a contract that was very Nationals friendly. But since that afternoon there has been a severe lack of something very important in the baseball filled chaos that is Florida spring training; leadership.

It started off simply enough, last years opening day starter Odalis Perez refused to come to camp and instead said he would hold out for a new contract. Happens all the time, this is the NFL right? We do see these types of holdouts a lot in a sport like football. A player signs a contract years ago, has outperformed that contract, and with the high risk of injury of the sport believes he deserves to be paid at the level he is now playing.

Well Perez signed his contract this winter....less than a month ago. Perez had been waived by the Nationals after the season ended because they believed he would want more money than they were willing to pay. Both teams got caught in a bind, Perez couldn't find a home, the Nats couldn't find starters. The compromise was made, and Perez was given a chance at a Major League contract...fair enough right?

Evidently not.

"It's odd," Nationals President Stan Kasten said, "It's a first time for me. I don't know what's behind it."

It's good to see that the president of the club has no ability to take charge of this situation. Allow me to translate:

"Huh...this is weird."

No action, no releasing Perez or setting an example to his club that this type of me first team second attitude is unacceptable. No, instead Kasten is content with just sitting around to wait and see if it's gonna be okay.

This was only the beginning of the Kasten quotes. Following the Esmailyn Gonzalez fallout he was just plain angry, but far from professional:

"I'm not exactly sure how to refer to him, so for now I'll just call him 'the Player to be named later..An elaborate scheme..I'm angry. I'm very angry. We've ben defrauded. And make no mistake: this wasn't a college kid with a fake ID. This was a deliberate, premeditated fraud, that involved bribes, along with falsified hospital and school records."

We could all feel his frustration, in fact most of us felt the same way. But while this tirade was entertaining it was oh so empty. Who's accountable? Who's to blame? What's the plan stan?Natstown is looking to you here, and you are throwing a tantrum.

The truth is that nobody will take responsibility for Esmailyn. In a Chico Harlan article with Gonzalez's agent, Stan King, King blamed society saying Gonzalez had to be the victim.

"I don't know where the origins of this thing are. It seems to me this thing is much too complicated and involved for a 19 - or 20-year-old from an impoverished neighborhood to pull off. He may have been duped himself."

"He sounded remorseful," King said (of Gonzalez). "He sounded contrite, He sounded relieved, as if this weight had been lifted off of him."

So if it wasn't his agent's fault, and it wasn't Esmailyn's fault...someone had to blame. What of that shady 'handler' down in the Dominican. You know...the guy who took Esmailyn into his home, fed and clothed him, trained him, and introduced him to the Major League scouts. A nice guy right? Let's not forget the $230,000 commission he gained in the process.

An ESPN the Magazine report by Jorge Arangure Jr. however cites Basil

lo Vizcaino as blaming Major League Baseball for this whole fiasco:

'What is most troubling for MLB's office in the Dominican Republic is that Lugo(Gonzalez), according to Vizcaino, passed the age investigation requests of at least three teams -- the Nationals, the Yankees, and the Redsox. Two baseball sources said that the Redsox and Yankees received reports from MLB that confirmed that the player was 16 in 2006.

Vizcaino said in each instance baseball investigators, who are sub-contracted by MLB visited the player's supposed hospital of birth, the player's supposed school and his hometown of Bani to interview people and to review documents. Each time the player's identity was confirmed, though major league officials were skeptical.'

Well apparently neither Stan King nor Kasten are to blame, nor his Dominican handler or the scout that found him Jose Rijo...nope it's Major League Baseball. An easy target to say the least, you'd be hard struck to find ANYONE who is happy with the MLB right now. If that won't work I'm sure someone on the team will blame it on minorities, the rich, the poor, or the Halle Bop comet.

But I'm not buying it, and neither is the FBI who took notice when it realized that some recent Dominican prospects signing bonus money could not be found...anywhere. It let to a major investigation on a bonus skimming scheme that led to the Feds investigating Nats scout Jose Rijo and general manager Jim Bowden.

But Bowden has more pressing matters currently. He has been the General Manager of a team that has gone 284 -363 under his tutelage and currently is put together like a grab bag of McDonalds happy meal toys.

The club has seven outfielders and one legitimate starting pitcher. The N

ats made their biggest free agent splash ever by signing Adam Dunn, but their next best hitter already plays Dunn's best position. Now at third string at first base is Dimitri Young who shouldn't really be anywhere except at maybe a Hooters wing eating contest, but certainly not here. The Nats had a great opportunity to trade this surprise All-Star in 2007 and in a sense cash in on a winning lottery ticket, instead they are now paying him $5 million dollars to likely start the season in the minors.

Good call Jim...Good call.

I think Yahoo Sports columnist Tim Brown put it best when he said:

"The Nationals don't win ballgames, they don't fill their new park (apparently they don't even pay the rent on their new ballpark), they accessorize their roster with misfits and then they don't avoid some very humiliating episodes. What they really need is stability, followed someday by credibility."

By the way anyone here from Stan Kasten recently?

"Thanks for writing," Kasten said in an email to ESPN's Arangure Jr., "But I wont be talking about this anymore for a while."

Nats line-up posed to breakout -BP says

2009-02-21T08:02:00.000-08:00

The numbers have been entered into PECOTA, Baseball Prospectus's projection system, and BP writer Jay Jaffe has listed his 'Breakout Bunch: Hitters.'

"What follows are a handful of players - curiously concentrated among a small number of teams - whom PECOTA sees as excellent breakout candidates at the major league level this year, with Breakout Rates of at least 33 percent. Each is forecast for at least 400 plate appearances, a .275 Equivalent Average, and a 2.5 WARP(Wins above replacement player). "

On the list of seven players were three Nationals.

Elijah Dukes- Projected .278/.386/.486, 4 WARP, 54% Breakout Rate

Lastings Milledge- Projected .281/.352/ .442, 3.3 WARP, 43% Breakout Rate

Ryan Zimmerman - Projected .289/.358/.471, 4.2 WARP, 40% Breakout Rate

This is pretty exciting. Baseball Prospectus is the most reliable people in the business in terms of evaluating talent and projecting success/failure. PECOTA has earned the right to be called the best after years of backing it up.

Most comforting is that the most reliable source on baseball talent is reassuring Nats fans that we aren't alone in our beliefs in the talent of these players. In the past I've seen many fans of this area of a variety of sports get high on young players that really didn't have much of a future. We get excited, whether it be the Redskins, the Wizards, or even the Orioles, but too often are too biased to see the truth about their abilities.

This is the first nationally published, positive forecast for the Washington Nationals I may have ever seen. While it isn't calling for much, it is promising to know that this line up could develop into something, and one day be the heart of a competitive team.

Thrilledge to change to number 85

2009-02-19T19:11:00.000-08:00

With the arrival of big name free agent Adam Dunn, Lastings Milledge reached out and made a gesture. The young center fielder deferred to his elder Dunn and gave up his number 44 jersey. Dunn had worn 44 all his career in Cincinnati and Milledge didn't even have to be asked.

"He hit 240 (homers) the last six years," Milledge said. "How...am I going to wear that and let him wear another number?"

Milledge will now wear number 85, an odd number for any Major League player. Traditionally higher numbers are reserved for those in spring training who are trying to make the big league club. A good way to tell what chance a player has of making the club is if his number is above or below 50. Milledge chose 85 simply because he was born in 1985.

The number change has already brought some humor to the clubhouse. Manny Acta reportedly stuck a piece of white tap with "Ocho-Cinco 85" written in black marker on Milledge's locker, a reference to the Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Johnson.

While Dunn didn't ask Milledge for the number, he was grateful his new teammate deferred to him. He didn't however agree with Milledge's choice for his new number.

"That number's so ugly," Dunn said. "I might just give this one back."

A few words from Kasten on Esmailyn Gonzalez

2009-02-19T07:19:00.001-08:00

The good news is Stan Kasten is as surprised and upset as the rest of us, the bad news is this gives us no more answers.

When asked whether or not people should call the once prized prospect shortstop Esmailyn Gonzalez or by his birth name Carlos Lugo, Kasten replied:

"I'm not exactly sure how to refer to him, so for now I'll just call him 'the Player to Be Named Later."

And if you couldn't tell Kasten was upset, he went on to call the situation:

"An elaborate scheme."

"I'm angry. I'm very angry. We've been defrauded. And make no mistake: This wasn't a college kid with a fake ID. This was a deliberate, premeditated fraud, that involved bribes, along with falsified hospital and school records."

The disappointing culture of Major League Baseball

2009-02-18T11:23:00.001-08:00

When I was young, I think there was nothing more exciting than going to a Baltimore Orioles game with my dad. I looked forward to baseball, I looked forward to going to the game and being part of the crowd, a part of the excitement, and most importantly a part of the tradition filled culture.

I was excited when Ken Griffey Jr. turned his hat backwards and when Nomar adjusted his gloves. I was excited when Larry Walker wrote 'I'm hitting .400' in the sand and when Joe carter jumped for joy. I looked forward to Cal Ripken breaking Lou Gehrig's consecutive game streak and watched in awe when he hit homers on back to back nights, when tying and breaking the record.

But somewhere along the lines that excitement I felt for the game has changed to an expectation of disappointment. Maybe I'm jaded, maybe it's just been a rough few years, but since Roger Maris's record fell in 1998 nothing good has come to the game.

With the news breaking today of the Nats prized prospect being a phony and a liar, it only capped off what has been a stunningly disappointing week and a half of baseball. This season has yet to begin and already three scandals have hit the news wires. Former Oriole star Miguel Tejada may be going to jail, the hope of the game Alex Rodriguez is a cheat, and now one of the hopes of the Nationals is an apparition.

It has come to the point where I just expect the worst from the best. I cringe at the thoughts of stars like Albert Pujols or David Wright being caught up in a scandal. I worry that inspirations like Josh Hamilton will be ruined by something, anything, that stands for the opposite of the hope they bring.

It doesn't help that the commissioner, the so called leader or figurehead of our game is a buffoon. The man seems to make the wrong decision on everything, and under his watch all of this has happened. Worse than Bud Selig making the wrong decision is when he refuses to make one at all. Too often do we see him say the words, 'well I'm not going to say that,' or 'it's something I'll have to think about.' The man who is supposed to guide the sport can't even decide what do think or say.

I hope that this is just the fallout of an era that was corrupt, and not a trend of the future. The game has been infused with money, and we know what that has historically done to all institutions. I pray that the game cleans up and I hope that one day I can look forward to opening the sports page, and not dread inevitable disappointment.

First response about Esmailyngate on Nationals.com

2009-02-18T09:45:00.000-08:00

MLB.com reporter Bill Ladson posted a story today on Esmailyngate, which gives us a little it of insight on how those around the shortstop are taking the report that Gonzalez is actually 23 years old.

Gonzalez's current agent, Stanley King, said early Wednesday morning he was shocked by the revelations.

"I hope this is a mistake," King said via telephone. "I was at his house this winter and he answered by his [baseball name]. I will look into this."

Former Major League pitcher Jose Rijo who is now a special assistant to Jim Bowden, had a close relationship to Esmailyn Gonzalez and his 'handler' Basillio Vizcaino. Handlers in the Dominican take young players and pay to train and feed them in return for a percentage of their signing bonus when they get with a Major League organization. It was this relationship between Rijo, Vizcaino and Bowden that prompted an FBI investigation over several Nationals Dominican signings in 2008.

"I saw (Gonzalez) for 2 1/2 years (before he signed with the Nationals)," Rijo said, "In the Dominican, you never know anymore. It has been going on so long."

I have a feeling this whole thing may end up being bigger than just 'Gonzalez' lying about his age and name. If somehow there is proof that King, Rijo, or Bowden knew the truth prior to this story breaking, heads could roll. It's not often the Feds get involved in Major League Baseball, it will certainly be interesting to see where this goes.

Great way to kick off camp- 'Gonzalez' is a phony

2009-02-18T08:19:00.000-08:00

When Esmailyn Gonzalez first arrived to Washington Nationals camp at the age of 17, he earned the nickname 'Smiley,' because of his constantly pleasant demeanor. However, with the news breaking today it is clear that he wasn't smiling with joy for the game, but because he knew something we all didn't; 19-year-old Esmailyn Gonzalez is actually 23-year-old Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo.

SI.com reported late last night that the prized possession prospect for the Washington Nationals lied about his age en route to signing a record $1.4 million contract in 2006. The signing was a momentous occasion for the young franchise who used it's winning bid for the shortstop as proof of their "pledge to become an industry leader in scouting and player development."

The news today of Gonzalez's false identity has put both his future with the organization as well as his future in the United States in jeopardy. It is unclear whether the shortstop will even be able to attain a visa to arrive to spring training, assuming the Nationals would even want him.

At 18 his numbers in the Gulf Coast League (.343/.431/,475) were very impressive. While 'Gonzalez,' had considerable tools they weren't yet put together, but his age made up for that. At the age of 23 however he is now considered very raw and the likelihood of his body developing further is very slim.

The bottom line:

Esmailyn Gonzalez- possible future superstar

Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo- average minor league bum

more to come...

Looking at the Non-Roster Invitees - Pitchers

2009-02-16T10:34:00.000-08:00

Every year major league clubs invite between 25-35 players to spring training to give them a shot at making the Big League club. Some of these players have minor league contracts, and some are at camp with an all or bust mission of proving that they will be able to help on the clubs 40 man roster.

Here is a look at the pitchers the Nats invited to Viera this spring:

63 Bobby Brownlie-A former first round pick for the Chicago Cubs and standout at Rutgers, Brownlie (28) rose to the top of the Cubs system after going 14-12 with a 3.25 ERA in his first two years in professional ball. Brownlie however struggled in 2006 and never seemed to recover. He was released in 2007 and to this day is still trying to reach his first round potential as a major league starter/reliever. Here is scout.com's rendition of What's Easting Bobby Brownlie?

71 Gustavo Chacin- Chacin roared onto the scenes in 2005 for Toronto as one of the bette

r left handed starters in the American League. Armed with villainous sunglasses, Chacin combined a deadly curve and a low 90's fastball to keep hitters off balanced. Then, as quickly as he came on to the scene in 2005, he vanished. Reconstructive arm surgery caused him to miss most of 2007 and all of 2008. Now he will try and make the leagues weakest rotation after not pitching in almost two years.

43 Jesus Colome- Colome is probably one of the closest to a lock to make the big league club of the players on this list. He has pitched in 122 games for the Nats over the last 2 years and has posted ERA's of 3.82 and 4.31 (a difference of only 6 earned runs). Colome gets a lot of strikeouts and throws very hard out of the pen.

72 Justin Jones- Jones was drafted by the Cubs in the second round out of high school in 2002. The left-hander was on the right track his first two years in the minors, posting a 1.80 ERA in 2002 and a 2.28 ERA in A ball in 2003. His success led to him being named the 56th top prospect in baseball and the #2 prospect for the Chicago Cubs according to Baseball America. Double A just seemed to be too much, as he couldn't succeed at the next level. After being cut by the Cubs he has bounced around and has finally landed with the Nats. His chances of making the big league club are not high.

68 Preston Larrison- Larrison has been a journeyman since being drafted by Detroit in 2001. He showed solid success at all levels but could not break onto the big league club. Elbow surgery in 2007 hurt his velocity and he was eventually released by both Detroit and Cleveland.

75 Wilfredo Ledezma- Ledezma is weird...In a spot start for Detroit in 2006, filling in for Justin Verlander, the lefty suffered a rough inning. Following the third out, Ledezma continued to walk into the dugout and literally...eat his own hat. Yes... literally...

60 J.D. Martin- Martin was a first round draft pick for the Cleveland Indians in 2001, and for a while was one of their top prospects. Martin was forced to get reconstructive surgery in 2003 and with it lost a great deal of his velocity. After a rocky 2008, the Indians finally let their once prized hurler go. Martin now comes to the Nationals with that same great curveball that made him a great prospect, but with velocity problems in his fastball.

45 Odalis Perez- Perez was one of the Nationals best starters last year for much of the season. He has been a consistent middle rotation starter for the last 10 seasons and if he ever shows up to camp, he will likely make the club.

55 Jorge Sosa- Sosa signed with the Colorado Rockies organization as a free agent out of the Dominican in 1995. He's bounced around since, not making his debut until 2002 and not really producing at a quality level ever. There's a chance he'll find his way onto the big league club as a spot starter/reliever...just because of his durability.

78 Josh Towers- Some of you may remember Towers breaking into the bigs as an Oriole back in 2001. He didn't throw hard, but he did something else no one did; he threw strikes. By getting ahead in the count, Towers kept hitters off balance and under his control. This gimmick didn't last long though, as he got battered for the next 4 years. Towers found a resurgence in Toronto in 2005 going 13-12 with a 3.71 ERA, but 2006 and 2007 were just as 2002-2004.

35 Ryan Wagner- Drafted in the first round in 2003 by, you guessed it, THE Cincinnati Reds. He has a large amount of major league bullpen innings under his wing, but spent all of 2008 in the minors for the first time since breaking into the bigs in 2003. No one has ever questioned his arm, we'll see if he puts it together this spring.

76 Jordan Zimmerman- The Nats top prospect, Zimmerman had an off chance of making the back of the big league rotation out of spring training. A full year in AAA wouldn't hurt his development, so unless he is lights out expect the Nats to wait off at least a few months on bringing him up.

They Said it - A look at Fangraphs

2009-02-14T08:23:00.000-08:00

This is a great quote from Dave Cameron at Fangraphs.com:

"...and now Adam Dunn has joined the Washington Reds for $20 million over two years. This is a classic Jim Bowden move - acquire a former top prospect that he's already acquired previously, especially if he doesn't really have room for them on his roster. If Bowden were a general contractor, he'd build houses with nine bedrooms, six garages, no bathrooms, and half a roof. "

Frangraphs is a great stats site. It gives you every statistic you could ask for, and then some more. It doesn't stop at standard statistics, it goes into advanced, win probability, stats on batted balls, pitch type, plate discipline, fielding and overall value.

The coolest part of Fangraphs is it gives you a read out of the top projections for that player from other sources, including the great Bill James.

Click here to see the whole Adam Dunn fangraphs page.

Let the confusion begin

2009-02-12T11:50:00.001-08:00

The Washington Post reported today that if Nick Johnson is healthy he will be the Washington Nationals first baseman for 2009. This means that newly signed slugger Adam Dunn will be moved to the outfield and in doing so cause one big mess.

This report comes in response to Nick Johnson saying that he refused to serve a back up role and would like to be traded if Dunn was supposed to play first base. To be fair to Johnson, this has been his team and when healthy he has produced very well. Behind Dunn, he is their second best hitter and the two of them in their line up at the same time would be much more potent.

Prior to the Dunn signing the Nats had Lastings Milledge, Austin Kearns, Wily Mo Pena, Josh Willingham, Elijah Dukes, and Willie Harris all competing for three outfield spots. Now with Dunn in left; make that two outfield spots.

This quite simply is a terrible misappropriation of talent. How do we have that many players vying for two outfield position yet absolutely no pitching? The clear move here for the Nationals should be to trade Nick Johnson. Aside from Kearns (who has 0 trade value), he is making almost as much as the other outfielders combined. His trade value is higher, as he gets on base and has a professional track record, and his contract is up at the end of this year.

If he were traded we could receive possibly a solid relief pitcher, or a starter. We could shed his contract and have money to pick up one of the remaining free agents available...say Orlando Hudson. With Dunn in the infield we can give guys like Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes security in the outfield, instead of making them compete all year long.

Let's be smart...for once?

Dunn Deal

2009-02-12T10:31:00.000-08:00

Jim Bowden psychoanalysis aside, the Nats officially announced their deal with Adam Dunn today. The deal locks up the 29 year old slugger for two years for a combined $20 million. $8 million will be rewarded in 2009 and the rest in 2010.

On paper this is a great deal for the Nationals. Dunn initially was seeking a big long term contract as most 27-29 year old allstars do on the open market. Luckily for the Nationals, however, this market has just gotten worse and worse, and by playing the waiting game they signed him for less money and years than anyone would have ever have expected.

To put this deal in monetary prospective, Adam Dunn was making $13 million in 2008 and will be making $8 million in 2009. That is a 38% pay decrease after averaging 41.5 home runs and 100RBI for the last four years. At the age of only 29 Dunn will produce close to the top power numbers in the league and get paid less than the money he signed in his first major league contract.

The Nats signed Dunn for $160 million less than they were willing to give Mark Teixiera. That's $160 million for 33 more times on base, seven less home runs, and 20 more RBI...and a little bit of defense. By not making the popular big splash signing the Nats picked up a player of close to equal value as Teixiera without threatening the integrity of the teams financial future.

The Nats now have two years of a legitimate power threat in the middle of their line up. Two years of an all star at an average starters price. They have a name for two years to get them from A to B, from last to contention. Don't get me wrong, Dunn wont be the one to take them there, but he will help the team along as they develop.

Inserting Dunn into the line up will be great for the young Nationals hitters as well. Putting him behind Zimmerman and Milledge will allow the two to see much better pitches and will make them more selective. Dunn's ability to get on base will allow Elijah Dukes, who should hit behind him, to hit more often with runners on base, making him more effective.

Defensively Dunn is probably slightly worse than Nick Johnson at first base. His great size however will make up for his lack of traditional range, and if the Nats can trade Johnson they can use that $5.5 million to sign a second basemen...Orlando Hudson anyone?

Nats get it DUNN

2009-02-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

The Jim Bowden era continues.

In the early 2000's Reds fans reveled at the possibility of an outfield anchored by Ken Griffey Jr. (still available btw) with superstar prospects Wily Mo Pena, Austin Kearns, and Adam Dunn. Jim Bowden's situation was the envy of everyone in the league, and it looked as if the Reds would be at the top of baseball in the years to come.

Of course we know this isn't how things turned out. Griffey couldn't stay healthy while Kearns and Pena never lived up to their superstar potential. Eventually Bowden lost his job in Cincinnati after some insensitive remarks comparing the MLB Players association to al Qaeda(no wonder he can't get any players to sign) and the rest was history.

A year later, however, Jim was working for the new Washington Nationals and was ready to get back what he had lost. Bowden must have had a need to get back what he felt had been wrongfully taken from him after an off the cuff remark. He had done everything right after all, he had built a team that should have been in a place to compete...it just didn't.

It must be hard for a man who's job relies on the projected performance of others. You can make all the smart calls, the logical ones, and still end up being bit in the end by anything from a lazy third basemen to a freak kitchen injury. The bottom line was the scouting reports were wrong, the experts were wrong, and yes Jim was wrong.

Fast forward five years and the Washington Nationals are looking eerily like the Reds of 2003, especially with the signing of slugging outfielder Adam Dunn today. Is this professional? Is this not a ploy? Is this appropriate, logical, or even healthy? Am I the only one who has seen that this baseball man who has never been able to get the job done has simply taken this team hostage to fill some personal vendetta, some personal mission to prove that he was right in the first place putting these players together at the same time?

Is it that simple? A man who can't admit his failures is using his current position of power to try and correct the mistakes of his past one? It certainly wouldn't be the first time this has happened in Washington, but Nationals fans deserve better.

It's time to let go Jim...

Players on the 2003 Reds that later ended up in the National Organization:

2B D'Angelo Jimenez

SS Felipe Lopez

3b Aaron Boone

OF Adam Dunn

OF Jose Guillen

OF Austin Kearns

OF Wily Mo Pena

Front office- Barry Larkin

Front office-Bob Boone

Scratch that...not a good week for infeilders

2009-02-11T11:14:00.000-08:00

New York Daily News reported today that Roberto Alomar is being sued by his ex-girlfriend, Ilyla Dall for practicing unprotected sex while knowingly having Aids.

This is a shocking allegation to say the least. Alomar's lawyer would not comment as to whether or not the former second basemen was HIV positive but according to the NYDN he said that the lawsuit was totally frivolous. He also said that the allegations were baseless but that Alomar would like to keep his health status private.

"In papers filed in state and federal court, Dall said Alomar finally got tested in January 2006 while suffering from a cough, fatigue and shingles.
"The test results of him being HIV-positive was given to him and the plaintiff on or about Feb.6, 2006," the $15 million negligence suit says.
Nine days later, the couple went to see a disease specialist who discovered a mass in the retired second baseman's chest, the court papers say.
Alomar's skin had turned purple, he was foaming at the mouth and a spinal tap "showed he had full-blown AIDS," the suit says."

The article goes on to describe the history between Dall and Alomar and includes Dalls accessions of Alomar's diminished health and positive HIV tests. It also goes on to say that Alomar confided in Dall about an incident when he had been raped by two gay men after a Mexican baseball game when he was 17.

A bad week for former all star shortstops

2009-02-10T12:28:00.000-08:00

All-star shortstop Miguel Tejada was charged today with lying to congressional investigators about his use and knowledge of steroids. The 2002 MVP is expected to plead guilty tomorrow in court and faces up to a year in prison.

It has been a rough year for the former Baltimore Oriole slugger. In the last 12 months he has been named in the Mitchell Report, traded to Houston, and had his true age revealed on national television. He posted by far his career worst season in Houston this year as well and as he faces possible jail time, his career may very well be over.

It's sad to see a player like Tejada fall from grace so quickly. He was always one of the most charismatic and exciting players on and off the field. He looked like he had a true joy for playing the game and while he was a ferocious competitor, there was almost always a smile on his face.

Alex Rodriguez Update

A few hours after I posted on Alex Rodriguez's name being leaked for testing positive in a 2003 steroid test, he did something very surprising, he confessed:

Summary: Rodriguez took responsibility and says that he did in fact use steroids from 2001-2003. He said that the pressure to live up to his contract and the atmosphere in Texas were the contributing factors to his decision to take steroids. He did however admit that it was his decision and no one else's.

Analysis: Well...A-Rod probably realized that of all the stars who had been busted for steroids the only ones who have come out looking good are the ones who admitted to their use. The one thing people hate more than cheaters is liars. I think A-rod came out and told the truth in order to maintain his legacy and probably in the hopes that people will be willing to move on.

I think his hopes will probably be realized. He will most likely still be a Hall of Famer and considered one of the best in the game. The one thing that will likely be harmed however is his legacy as one of the best of all time. People can forgive a cheater, but they wont embrace him as one of their heros.

And can anyone really forgive the man that looked Katie Couric in the face and lied?

A-Fraud

2009-02-09T10:26:00.000-08:00

Unless you've been under a rock this entire weekend, you know that Sports Illustrated reported that Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003.

The positive test came from an anonymous survey that Major League Baseball distributed in order to determine if there was a need to test for performance enhancing drugs regularly. Reportedly 104 players tested positive in the survey.

A-Rod testing positive for performance enhancing drugs is surprising but by no means shocking. I think most baseball fans assumed that the great slugger was clean based on his consistent performance and non-overwhelming size. When people thought about steroids they thought of superhero bodies and freakish growth. But the fact itself that the games biggest star and arguably one of the best players of all time was caught juicing at this point really shocked no one. We've become so jaded over the last decade as we have seen those we once labeled as hero's stripped down to the the worst title of all: cheater.

But what does this mean for baseball, and where does it leave us? What are we supposed to expect/believe about the time period in baseball now known as the steroid era? Do we simply assume that everyone was juicing and therefor it was a level playing field? With the amount of stars positively linked to steroids at this point that may be a safe bet.

But then what about the records? Sure it is simple enough to give these guys a pass into the Hall of Fame because they were playing against other roiders, but doesn't it punish the greats of the past?

Some would suggest we simply go on a witch hunt and find all the offenders we can. Potential Hall of Famer Curt Schilling even suggests that Major League Baseball renege on their confidentiality claims and list all 103 players who tested positive in 2003.

While I don't have the answers to these hypotheticals, the whole problem did get me thinking about how many sure fire stars there were left from the steroid era that hadn't been linked to the juice. So here is my starting Roider and Non Roider line up for the steroid era.

Rules: I'm defining the steroid era as 1995-2004. Players who have either tested positive, or have otherwise been all but proven to have taken steroids are considered Roiders. Those with no substantial steroid rumors are Non Roiders.

Roiders

C- Ivan Rodriguez (Juiced)

1B-Rafael Palmeiro (Tested Positive)

2B-Chuck Knoblauch (Mitchell Report)

SS-Alex Rodriguez (Tested Positive)

3B-Ken Caminiti (Admitted)

OF-Jose Canseco (Admitted)

OF-Barry Bonds (too many to list)

OF-Gary Sheffield (Admitted)

DH Mark McGwire (Brother, Juiced, Inability to deny allegations)

SP Roger Clemens (Mitchell Report)

RP Eric Gagne (Mitchell Report)

Bench: Jason Giambi (Admitted), Mo Vaughn (Mitchell Report), Nook Logan (overwhelmingly large guns)

Note: Sammy Sosa did not have enough on him to put him on either list.

Non-Roiders

C-Mike Piazza

1B-Albert Pujols

2B-Roberto Alomar/Jeff Kent

SS-Derek Jeter

3B-Chipper Jones

OF-Ken Griffey Jr.

OF-Vlad Guerrero

OF-Rickey Henderson

DH-Manny Ramirez

SP-Pedro Martinez

RP-Mariano Rivera

Bench: Cal Ripken (Tail end of career), Wade Boggs (Ditto) Nomar Garciaparra

Who makes your list?

Odalis is back

2009-02-06T09:55:00.000-08:00

The Nationals and Odalis Perez agreed to a minor league contract yesterday, which will give the journeyman left hander a fair shot at making the rotation in 2009.

Perez signed a similar deal with the club in 2008, eventually leading to him being the oppening day starter. At times last year, Perez was the best pitcher in the rotation for the Nats. He went 7-12 with a 4.34 ERA in 30 starts. In the first half of the season he posted a 3.71 ERA and even with a 2-7 record had many calling for him to be the Nats representative at the All-Star game.

This is a good signing for the club. The rotations situation is dire, and the addition of Perez at worst will provide them with a left handed innings eater. He has had at least 20 starts each year since 2001, and while those years ranged from very successful to downright awful, he has been able to get the pitching staff from one day to the next.

What to do with Jordan Zimmerman

2009-02-04T10:38:00.000-08:00

Ronald Burris might not be the only trailblazer coming to Washington in 2009.

Jordan Zimmerman has scorched through the minors at an unexpected rate and will have the opportunity to earn a spot in the Major League rotation this spring. We've seen this happen many times before in baseball; a young pitcher breaking into the bigs at a very young age and far ahead of schedule. Sometimes its positive (Roger Clemens, Josh Beckett) sometimes it's negative (Edwin Jackson and Bobby Witt), and sometimes they just burn out (Dwight Gooden, Dontrell Willis).

But the proverbial question stands, should Zimmerman be brought up to the bigs in 09 if her earns it in camp, or should he be forced to spend more time in the minors developing?

There is a lot to be said for rewarding the kid if he comes out and has a great showing in spring training. If he can succeed in the spring against top talent, why wouldn't he be able to in May, June and August?

I urge the Nats to realize however that pitcher development is such a long process. The minors allow pitchers a place to learn under fire. It allows them develop skill during in game situations where in the majors they would just be relieved at the first sign of trouble. Don't we want our young pitchers to work through their problems? Not avoid them?

It's been said by many scouts that Zimmerman right now has very good stuff, but no great go to pitches. It seems to me that you can get minor league hitters out at a high rate without a go to pitch, but in order for a pitcher to be truly successful at the big league level he will need to have sharpened his pitches just that much more. A year more in the minors wont hurt anyone, certainly not Zimmerman.

But what do YOU think??

Bud Selig makes a mockery of the sport...and a lot of money

2009-02-03T18:39:00.000-08:00

ESPN.com reported that Bud Selig 'earned' a salary of $17.5 million in 2007.

Why?

Since the former used car salesman has taken over as commissioner of Major League Baseball he has done nothing but make a collection of bad or late decisions that have caused the sport we love to spiral downward out of control. Yet the owners of MLB's clubs stand behind their man bumbling interview after bumbling interview, and to the tune of 18.35 M in total compensation.

David Stern in his tenure has taken the NBA from an afterthought sport to the most iconic in our country. No other sport has the stars that the NBA hosts. No sport has the recognizable personalities or faces, you see NBA jersey's on the backs of fans everywhere and to this day we all still want to be like Mike. Remember the lockout? No? Remember that the games biggest star was brought up on rape charges? No, you don't, when you think of the NBA you think of Donald Sterns class operation, the NBA that 'cares.'

Roger Goodell has only been with the NFL for several years but even he has earned a reputation for laying down the law and improving the sport. He had no

remorse in indeffinately suspending Pacman Jones or fining possibly the greatest coach of all time half a million dollars. The NFL today is America's sport. Sunday during football season is considered a holiday for many and the sports championship is the biggest television event of the year.

Lets take a look at Bud Selig's accomplishments:

In 1994 the Major League Players Association went on strike and the end of the 1994 season was cancelled including the playoffs. While the strike was as much the players fault as was the owners, the Commissioner could not keep his sport together, ruining what could have been a .400 season for Tony Gwynn and the best season the Montreal Expo's ever had.

He allowed the steroid scandal to brew for years before it was finally exposed (not by him but by federal investigators) and then denied any responsibility. In doing so he lost any of the fans he had managed to draw back after the strike, and as a result baseball players are a joke in the media and the sports community as suspected cheaters.

In 2002 the All-Star game ended in a tie after the American and National Leagues were dead locked after 11 innings. Confusing and embarrassing to some, but logical to most, Selig felt the need for the first time in his reign to take action. Instead of explaining to the media in a press conference that would be forgotten in six months, that in an exhibition game these things happen and in order to protect the players he did what any manager would have wanted him to do, he inserted his foot in his mouth. He just brought more, and perpetual attention to the incident by creating a rule more useless and dumb than any other in sports.

In 2001 Bud Selig decided to take over and purchase the Montreal Expos for 120 million dollars. For two years the team was run by Major League baseball as Bud decided what he wanted to do with this orphan team. Everyone knew the team was going to go to Washington, it had been the obvious choice for a team for years. Selig for some inexplicable reason couldn't pull the trigger. Instead of playing their games in Washington, the team played a quarter of their home games in impoverished Puerto Rico and with no owner or leadership watched as all the talent that was packed into its roster slipped away.

In 2007 Barry Bonds was approaching the most hallowed record in baseball, Aarons 755 mark. Everyone knew he had been roiding; the feds, the fans, the writers. The outrage wasn't as much at Bonds for cheating, but at Selig and baseball for letting it happen. For weeks Selig bumbled like an idiot figuring out whether or not he would go to the game. He couldn't make a simple decision on whether or not to embrace or reject the accomplishment. The only thing that could make the sport look like it had less leadership than Bonds breaking the record, was Selig looking like a moron.

Despite all of this Selig makes a whopping 18 total million dollars a year. Almost double the 10 million that Goodell and Stern make.

It's time that fans across the board demand a new commissioner. With a record like that he is only hurting the integrity of the game and the quality presented to the fans. The owners will keep him forever because he makes them money, so it is in the fans hands to demand that their owners make a change.

It's about time for one.

Send it to someone you love

2009-02-02T14:15:00.000-08:00

The season is too far away

2009-01-31T08:58:00.000-08:00

I for one can't wait for the season to get started and to watch this team grow on the field, as a result we're getting some baseball in early and heading south for spring training. Papa Yoder got the tickets yesterday, and The Nats Blog will be reporting live from Vierra Beach, Florida at the Washington Nationals spring training complex.

Manny needs to start being Manny, play some baseball

2009-01-31T07:21:00.000-08:00

According to ESPN.com, Albert Pujols is encouraging the St. Louis Cardinals to sign future Hall of Fame slugger Manny Ramirez. While there has been no other sign of communication between Ramirez and the Cardinals front office, the prospect of adding arguably the scariest hitter last season into the line up with arguably the scariest hitter ever is certainly raising some eye brows.

The article says that Pujols speaks to Manny a few times a week on the phone, and the two of them cannot figure out why Ramirez can’t get a deal anywhere.

The answer to that conundrum is simple, unfortunately Manny is too busy being Manny to figure it out. It’s your agent buddy. The truth is that Scott Boras (Ramirez’s agent) refuses to come to terms with a slowing economy as he continues to try and push the market bigger and bigger. So while younger stars like C.C Sabathia and Mark Teixeira can still get mega-deals, teams (who aren’t wearing pinstripes) are being sensible about signing a 36-year-old outfielder with baggage.

His talent, and even his work ethic are unquestionable. His desire to play into his 40’s, be a leader in the clubhouse, and whether or not he knows where he is the majority of the time is. But with that uncertainty there is one unquestionable truth:

If Manny Ramirez dumped Scott Boras, lowered his asking price to 2 years for 40 million dollars, he would be on a team tomorrow.

It’s amazing what green (money, not the herb) colored glasses will do to ball players. It seems so simple for us fans and executives, yet it’s so hard for the players to understand. Yes Scott Boras will demand more money, but no, teams won’t want to deal with him. The players must think we can’t understand what it’s like to turn down all that money to play baseball. Maybe that is why it took Warren Buffet in the summer of 2008 to convince A-Rod to drop Boras, the only person Mr. A-rrogant would listen to is the richest man in the world.

Manny needs to pull back his deadlocks and see the light. It’s February and he has no team. No one has budged to bite the bullet and sign him to a contract the think is unfair, in fact the Dodgers retracted their first offer. The Mets are showing no interest, the Yankees are spent, and the Red Sox are off limits. The Cardinals are an intriguing option but do they really have that kind of money? It’s time for Manny to suck it up, take 40 million dollars, and go play some baseball. It’s what he was born to do.

Manny in Washington?

At first glance that question may seem ludicrous, especially in bold. Why would the Nationals sign an old outfielder who has no leadership ability to a big deal?

Well…because we can. If you loyal readers remember I was adamantly against the Mark Teixeira deal. Not because I didn’t like his talent, or because I didn’t think we needed a 20 million dollar a deal player on the roster, but because I didn’t like the length of the contract. Don’t pay for fan excitement now if it will hurt the team when they’re ready to compete.

Ramirez however is different. He will likely only play three or four more years, and will be out of town by the time the team is competitive. In the mean time he will provide excitement with his bat, his fielding (not necessarily positively, but it will be exciting!) and his antics. This would not be a move for our future, but one to hold us until we get there.

It will also give Nats fans a little bit of history and a little something to be proud about when Ramirez gets inducted on his first ballot into the Hall of Fame. Not to mention he will be closing in on 600 homers in the not so distant future, what better a place than Nationals Park?

So Mr. Bowden, go ahead and let Manny distract us while you prepare the future. Let Manny come into our clubhouse and show young players how you really prepare for a season and game. Show Ryan Zimmerman what it’s like to see a fastball when he hits in front of one of the best hitters of all time. And let Manny remind Nationals fans what a feared hitter looks like wearing a curly w.

“I’m sick of following my dreams. I’m just going to ask them where they’re going and hook up with them later.”-Mitch Hedberg

Jordan Zimmerman-Prospect # 1

2009-01-28T08:35:00.000-08:00

It must have been hard for Jordan Zimmerman to have any optimism after his senior season at University of Wisconsin at Steven's-Point. He had just been plain unlucky. The kind of bad luck you'd only expect for a guy like Zach Grienke.

The first round talent prospect took a line drive off his jaw while pitching batting practice in the offseason which made it hard for him to prepare for the year. That, combined with awful Wisconsin weather (if you've been there you'd understand) all combined to attribute to his slow start his senior year. Oh yeah, and he missed time after getting his wisdom teeth pulled.

This string of unluckiness resulted in him falling to the second round where the Nationals picked him up with the 67th overall pick.

Today bad luck is nowhere to be found anywhere near Jordan Zimmerman. Since starting professional ball he has been nothing but good, very good. In his debut in Vermont he shined going 5-2 in 11 starts with 71 strikeouts in only 53 innings. He posted an ERA of 2.38 and only allowed 18 walks. The next year Zimmerman started the season in high A ball Potomac and once again dazzled. In 5 appearances he posted a 1.65 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 27.1 innings. After a quick promotion he continued to produce in Harrisburg. In 20 starts he posted a 3.21 ERA with 103 strikeouts in 106 innings pitched.

Zimmerman has progressed extremely well through the system in the last two years. This progression and his performance in 2008 has launched him atop the Nationals prospect lists across the board. This progression has surprised and impressed scouts as many figured he would need more time than most college pitchers coming form poor college competition at UWSP.

Despite his performance and quick rise up the charts there are still doubts about his talent. Scouts point out that while he has been able to get hitters out in the minors none of his stuff is considered dominant. 'All of his pitches are good but he lacks that one knockout offering to project as an upper tier-talent,' says Baseball Prospectus.

While the naysayers will...well naysay... the only people JZimm will have to answer to are the batters he faces. He will be given the opportunity to compete for a starting job in the spring, and if he doesn't earn it the Nationals will be keeping the rotation spot warm for him until he is ready. He will have the opportunity to prove he has what it takes...and I know Nats fans are waiting to see what he will do.

Ross Detwiler-Prospect # 2

2009-01-26T12:50:00.000-08:00

On September 7th, 2007, Ross Detwiler found himself in a very good place. Only a few months after being drafted 6th overall by the Washington Nationals he was on the mound in Atlanta pitching an inning of relief against the Braves. He retired the side.

Yet one year later Detwiler couldn't pitch himself out of Single-A Potomac. 'Why am I still here?' he must have asked himself. Perhaps that was the reason why...

The 6 foot 5, 22 year old left-hander hadn't always been at the top of his class. He went undrafted in high school and signed with Missouri State, not exactly the most prestigious of baseball schools in the land. It was here however where Detwiler said he learned how to pitch. His large frame after maturation translated into a mid 90's fastball and a very effective power curve.

Detwiler began to stand out in the Missouri Valley Conference and earned himself a spot on Falmouth in the famous Cape Cod Summer League. In four starts there he compiled a 1.74 ERA while striking out 14 with only three walks against the nations best amateur competition. in 2007 as a Junior he shined for Missouri State shutting down opposing hitters to a .198 batting average and posting an ERA of 2.22.

The transition into professional ball appeared seamless for the potential filled starter. He posted a 3.54 ERA on his way to his call up with 55 strikeouts in 66 innings. Despite extending his season longer than it had ever gone before, Detwiler continued to retire better and better hitters.

Then how come he couldn't get out of Potomac in what should have been a routine stop en route to joining the Nationals rotation half way through 2008? The truth is neither coaches nor Detwiler himself knew what was going on. All anybody knew was that in a complete season for the PNATS he had compiled a 4.22 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, and a lower than expected strikeout rate.

The only problem that the coaches of the PNATS could single out was the lack of a developed third pitch. Detwiler came into the system with a change-up that he threw in college but he had struggled to throw it consistently for a strike against higher level hitters. This had caused hitters to key in on his fastball as the change posed no real threat. As Detwilers change up improved through the summer, his numbers got a little better.

Yet with Detwilers on the mound struggles he is still considered by many as not only one of the Nats top 10 prospects but a potential future ace if he puts it together. Prospectus said that when he is on he looks absolutely dominant and has more potential than Jordan Zimmerman, but BP also warned that at times in 2008 he looked completely lost.

So for the Nationals 2009 will likley be a major make or break year for Detwiler's path to the majors. At only 22 years old he does have time to figure it out, but the Nationals rotation is completely depleted and the team needs starters. If the kid can put it together he could be atop the Nats rotation in two or three years, if not it wont be pretty.

'No offseason' for Nationals Lannan

2009-01-26T08:13:00.000-08:00

The Earth Times reported today that John Lannan is in the midst of an extreme offseason workout regiment with professional athletic trainer Dean Maddalone. The owner of 'Professional Athletic Performance' will be presenting Lannan and their success in the 2009 National Strength and Conditioning Sports Specific Training Conference in Nashville Tennessee.

"From the first day of our 12 week program we noticed an intensity usually reserved for guys who are trying to make a team or add years to their career," says Dean on Lannan's work ethic.

"The last thing I want to think about in later innings is fatigue and the trainers at Performance have taught me how to prepare. I have never felt this good in my life," said Lannan.

John Lannan is slated to be the teams ace this year after an excellent rookie season in 2008. While many in the Nationals circuit believe Lannan has what it takes to be a true Major League ace, few scouts from other organizations see him more than a number 3 starter on a division one team. Hopefully for Lannan, and the Nationals, this hard work ethic will just be used to shut the doubters up, and Lannan will be dominant yet again on the mound in 2009.

Poll Results are in:

Baseball Prospectus releases their Nationals top 11 prospects list

2009-01-23T19:38:00.001-08:00

BP, the baseball bible, released today their top 11 prospects for the Washington Nationals. While this list is similar to Baseball America's, the order is certainly different and it gives a good altering opinion of the teams talent.

The main difference between Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America is that Baseball America ranks their players based on scouts opinions and Baseball Prospectus takes a more mathematical/statistical approach to evaluating talent. Personally I lay my faith in the people at BP more. Year after year they have successfully broken down baseball into an almost predictable science (they are also very funny).

Some people may call them geeks, but I call them geniuses. The list is on a subscription website, so I wont quote everything they say but I will give you an idea of their feelings about all the players. So without further delay, here is BP's top 11 prospects:

1. Jordan Zimmerman- Prospectus lists Zimmerman as a 4 star prospect (out of 5). They say that 'he does nearly everything well,' and ' has a strong durable frame.' BP projects Zimmerman at best to be a number 3 starter and at worst to be a 4. They agree that he's a pretty safe bet to be a Major League starter but they aren't impressed with any of his stuff. 'All of his pitches are good, but he lacks that one knock out offering to project as upper-tier talent.' BP thinks his path to the Majors is relatively clear because 'Washingtons big league rotations elicits little more than giggles.'

Fun Fact: Zimmerman was selected with the compensation pick the Nationals recieved from the Cubs for the signing of Alfonso Soriano.

2. Michael Burgess-BP is pretty high on Burgess. They say that while he is nowhere near the pure hitter that fellow Hillsboro High alumni Gary Sheffield is, he does project to have the same power and outfield arm. '..his bat speed is off the charts and his wrists are almost supernaturally strong.' They also say he has a plus-plus arm with incredible accuracy. At best BP thinks he could be a right fielder who hits 30+ homers yearly, but they also warn he could end up striking out too much to make his power valuable to any team.

3. Ross Detwiler-BP is very high on Detwiler's talent and say that he in fact has a higher ceiling than Zimmerman and could be a staff ace if he puts it together. They say that, 'When he's on, (he) has the ability to dominate.' However even BP cant look past his miserable performance last season. 'Detwiler was absolutely lost at times during 2008 while constantly struggling with his mechanics....if you caught him on the wrong day, you'd never believe he was a first-round talent.'

Fun Fact: Shares the same hometown as rock'n roll legend Chuck Berry.

4. Derek Norris: BP is very high on Norris's tools, saying he has all-star potential behind the plate. 'He has the kind of plate discipline you cannot teach; the game almost seems to slow down for him when he's at the plate, and he never swings at a bad pitch.' They say that his frame will project to solid power and he already has an arm to shut down the run game. The only downside BP sees on Norris is that his long stroke does not project to a high batting average. They think that if he can shorten it he will be a star catcher, but even if not he should be a big league one.

5.Jack McGeary- BP is high on McGeary's polish and stuff but low on his lack of commitment to the game. Even though he doesn't have overpowering stuff, they think he has a good 'knack for getting hitters out.' The main problem is McGeary's commitment to Stanford vs. his commitment to the Nationals. The kid is both a stud on the mound and in the classroom, but he's only getting half the experience he should be because of it. 'Two more seasons of half-year availability will slow his development, leaving him well behind the curve.'

Fun fact: McGeary has carried up to 20 units per quarter at Stanford with a 3.5 GPA.

6. Chris Marrero- Their main knock on Marrero is his basic waste of his 2008 season. Marrero gained weight which took him from 'being a below-average runner to a full-fledged base clogger, while also slowing his speed.' BP agrees that he still has the hitting skills and plate patience to be a big league hitter if he just gets it together in 2009. They project him to be ' your classic big-league first basemen' in a perfect world.

7. Destin Hood-BP thinks that drafting Hood was the Nationals attempt to fill the void of high-ceiling athletes in the organization. 'His power is above average, and he's a plus-plus runner with silky smooth action both at the plate as well as in the field.' They say scouts love his make up and say you hardly ever see a 'max effort, max tools combination.' Unfortunately they see Hood as a major project who has a very long way to go before he can be considered MLB ready. Right now he's a great athlete learning to play baseball.

8. J.P Ramirez- BP basically said the same thing that The Nats Blog reported earlier this week. Ramirez is an incredible line drive hitter but has few other secondary skills. 'Ramirez can flat-out hit...He has no weakness, regardless of pitch type or location, and is extremely confident in his abilities.' While at the plate he's likely to be a high batting average hitter with not a lot of projectable power do to his size. BP thinks at best he can be a starting outfielder with a high batting average and at worst he'll be a bench player who stays on a roster due to his ability to pick up a hit here and there.

9. Esmailyn Gonzalez-BP is lower on Esmailyn than I am. They say that while he has good plate patience and makes solid contact his lack of lower half strength will limit his power potential. They also think that he isn't much of a shortstop and at the next level is likely to move over to second at the next level. They think that at best he can be a replacement level shortstop with a better bat than glove or a pretty solid all around second baseman.

10. Roger Bernadina-BP sees Bernandina as a toolsy outfielder who is a late bloomer. 'His raw tools have impressed scouts for the past seven years now. He's a plus-plus runner and a threat to steal every time he reaches base, as well as an outstanding center fielder with a plus arm.' They think that while he finally put it together now he isn't likely to become a star he could be a starter for a second-division team.

11. Adrian Nieto-BP thinks Nieto is a great talent but right now not much more. They think his hitting and catching potential are high but he really doesn't have much development as of yet. They believe in a perfect world he could be a very good Major League catcher but he has a lot of development to do first.

Nats exchange arbitration figures with 4 players

2009-01-23T12:17:00.001-08:00

Ryan Zimmerman

Nationals offer: $2.75 million Zimmerman asks for: $3.9 million

Scott Olsen

Nationals offer: $2.55 million Olsen asks for: $3.5 million

Josh Willingham

Nationals offer: $2.5 million Willingham asked for: $3.6 million

Shawn Hill

Nationals offer: $500,000 Hill asks for: 775,000

Chris Marrero-Prospect # 3

2009-01-23T09:43:00.000-08:00

There are those kids who you look at and just say, 'Thats a ball player.' There are those kids who you look at and say, 'Wow that kid can really flash the glove.' Then there are those who don't let you say anything, their bats say it for you, and they say, 'I can flat out RAKE.'

Chris Marrero is the latter. The 6 foot 3, 220 pound former third basemen/outfielder is now the future first basemen of the Washington Nationals. But it doesn't matter that he keeps switching gloves because all that matters is his tremendous bat.

Going into his senior season at Monsignor Pace High in Miami, Florida, Marrero was considered hands down the best high school hitter in his class. He was so impressive that Nationals head of player development Bob Boone would later tell reporters that when he went down to see Marrero play he thought, "We have no chance." The young third basemen had a rough senior year however with a nagging hamstring injury which hurt his mechanics. He 'struggled' to the tune of batting .373 with 13 home runs, 35 RBI's, and a state championship.

The rough patch allowed Marrero to slip to the 15th slot where the Nationals picked him and gave him a $1.625 million bonus as well as a new position. The Nats had drafted Ryan Zimmerman at third base the year before which meant Marrero was now to be an outfielder.

After the draft he was quickly sent to the Gulf Coast League to participate in Rookie Ball. At the age of 17 Marrero excelled batting .309 with an OBP of .374. The next summer Marrero would continue his success at the plate splitting time between Hagerstown and Potomac hitting .275 with 23 home runs and 88 RBI. With his success in 2007 he was named the Nationals number one prospect by Baseball America and the number 27 prospect overall.

Marrero was poised for a breakout year in 2008 which could have found him as a mid to late season call up for the club if all went well. But things didn't go well for Marrero. After a slow start it seemed like he just could not get out of Dodge, well get out of Potomac. Through 70 games with the PNATS, Marrero only hit .250 with 11 home runs and a poor OBP of .325. His disappointing season came to an abrupt end in June when he broke his fibula taking him out for the rest of the season.

While it's not clear what caused the poor 2008 performance for Marrero some credit it to his position change from outfield to first, other attribute it to his significant weight gain.

"I was heavy. I didn't get fat, I just got really really strong. I came into 2008 at, like, 235 or something with 11 percent body fat. But I lost a little bit of my agility," Marrero told the Washington Post.

Marrero says he's fully recovered from his injury and is ready to continue his development. The young first baseman remains the most talented hitter in the Nationals system and still has the potential to be a star slugger at the major league level. Depending on his performance in camp he will either start the season in high-A Potomac or double-A Harrisburg. The rest is up to Marrero, if he hits, which he should, he could find his way into a possible starting spot at first base in 2010.

Don Sutton to leave the Nats?

2009-01-22T13:54:00.000-08:00

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported today that current Washington Nationals broadcaster Don Sutton may leave the ball club and return to Atlanta to preform the Braves radio broadcast.

Don Sutton is still currently under contract with the Nationals but the Braves are trying to arrange a deal to get him to leave the Nations capital. Sutton would join Jim Powell in the radio booth in an attempt to replace broadcasting legends Pete Van Wieren and Skip Caray.

Sutton, a Hall-of-fame pitcher and 300 game winner, spent 17 years in the broadcast booth for Atlanta before joining the Nationals broadcast team.

While it is surprising that Sutton would leave midway through a contract, it's not surprising that he would want to get out of Washington. The Nationals television audience was shockingly bad last season, so bad that team officials and Major League Baseball questioned if they were even accurate. While its a blow to the confidence of fans (does ANYONE want to be in Washington?) it may be a good thing for the future of the team.

Ever since the team came to Washington we've been trying to forge an identity. It's understandable, so much about appreciating baseball is built into it's tradition. But everyone should know by now if we want a genuine Washington Nationals culture we cant barrow bits and pieces from others. We can't take legendary broadcasters from other teams, or expect people to go to an incredibly expensive flawless stadium. We as fans want to feel like we are PART of the team, PART of it's history, and PART of its tradition.

Perhaps if we get some fresh young talent in the booth we will be able to associate the growth of our team with the growth of their careers. We will be able to come to appreciate them more and more as we come to appreciate our own ball club.

What would watching Wizards games be without Steve Buckhantz after all?

Nationals drop prices on 14,000 tickets

2009-01-21T14:11:00.000-08:00

USA Today reported that the Washington Nationals intend to lower ticket prices for the 2009 season:

"WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals lowered individual-sale ticket prices on 14,000 seats for 2009 on Wednesday after ranking near the bottom of the National League in attendance during their new ballpark's debut season.
The team didn't raise prices on any of the 41,888 seats in Nationals Park.

Prices were not changed for the stadium's most expensive seats, including those right behind home plate that cost $300 or more and often were empty when providing a backdrop for TV cameras.

The Nationals, whose record of 59-102 was the worst in baseball, averaged about 29,000 fans per home game in 2008, when they moved from RFK Stadium to their nearly $700 million new home. That put the team 13th in attendance in the 16-team NL, and 19th in the 30-team major leagues.

Individual-sale ticket prices were cut by $10 or more in more than 4,500 seats, including 3,000 in the ballpark's lower bowl."

Thank god. I was honestly starting to get worried. The ticket prices were high in general, much less for a team that didn't field a product anyone wanted to see. I couldn't see the team matching even the poor attendance they had last year with the current economic recession if prices stayed the same. People are going to be cutting back on luxuries, and a $25 upper deck outfield ticket is certainly a luxury.

Aside from not having an established fan base, I feel most Nats fans just had trouble adjusting to Nationals Park. RFK was great in many ways. It was incredibly accessible, incredibly cheap, and had its own charm. Let's not forget that RFK was home to many championship teams of both the Redskins and D.C United.

I think the lowered ticket prices will help the team build the fan base it truly needs. The team wont win this year, but if people can associate Nats Park with a good time, and not a whole in their wallet, they may be more likely to go back.

Now just to fix the problem behind the plate....

Washington Finally Lands a Big Name Free Agent:

2009-01-20T07:38:00.001-08:00

It had been a rough winter for Jim Bowden and the Nats. They had gotten so close to achieving the notoriety and the fan support that comes with the landing of a big time free agent name. But the closer the young ball club got, the greater the pain the city felt when they were spurned time after time for a bigger more established baseball town.

But today New York and Chicago can be damned, Washington D.C is where the celebration is at. This morning on the steps of the U.S Capital Barack Obama will be signing a four year deal which could keep him in Washington for as many as the next eight.

Fans have been spotted celebrating in the streets of Washington today. For a team that has been depressed due to almost a decade of losing seasons, this signing promises a new hope and a new start for many. The impact wont be immediate, it will take hard work and time to develop, but many Nats fans believe that this is the first major step on getting this team back on track.

Talk About A Press Conference

When Mark Teixiera decided to take less money to go to New York many Washingtonians were hurt and felt slighted. The day he signed with a team that hadn't even been publicly in the talks it was a humiliating slap in the face to all of those who hoped the Nationals may achieve some sense of national relevance. The only thing worse was when the Yankees held their press conference to announce their great acquisition.

It was Steinbrenner's chance to pop the new Yankee Stadium's cherry. With bells and whistles, in typical pinstripe fashion, the team wowed the national audience by unveiling their new first basemen in front of flashing lights and a multi-hundred million dollar stadium. It was truly an event to be remembered. The handsome young slugger took his place in Yankee history and made jokes about his decision to screw over the Nats.

Well Mr. Steinbrenner, HOW DO YOU LIKE DEM APPLES?

On a serious note:

While you may agree this is either a great day or a sad day for our nation, partisan politics aside, this is a great day for our fair city. They are reporting that there are over two million people on our mall today, with as many as 3-4 million in the city. To put that in perspective, the Washington Nationals TOTAL ATTENDANCE last year was 2,300,000.

So regardless of politics, as Nationals fans, and lovers of our city, lets take this day to celebrate our town coming alive with people, festivities, and patriotism.

Go Nationals, and Go USA.

Michael Burgess-Prospect Number 4

2009-01-18T12:09:00.001-08:00

Coming from Hillsborough High in Florida, Michael Burgess knows he hasn’t accomplished anything yet. A look at the list of notable alumni from the school that shares the same name of its town will tell you why.

He has shared the same mound as flamethrowers Dwight Gooden and Baltimore Orioles closer Chris Ray. He has roamed the same outfield as sluggers Garry Sheffield, Carl Everett, and yes, Elijah Dukes. All of these names leave Michael Burgess as currently just a blip on the radar of immense baseball talent to come from the Hillsborough Terriers.

Fortunately for Burgess it’s no new thing to join elite company. The young super athlete rarely has been the first to do anything in his legendary baseball community. Instead the outfielder is always evoking the names of past greats that have achieved greatness before him.

In the 5A Florida State Championship finals Burgess pummeled a 470-foot home run to centerfield that cleared a 60 foot centerfield wall, a shot to make Mickey Mantle blush. The colossal shot thrilled fans but shocked none. The Sarasota crowd had seen it before; Bo Jackson, Frank Thomas, and Ken Griffey Jr. had all done it during their tenure.

That summer Burgess was in the midst of leading his summer ball club, the Cincinnati Redskins, to a 56-5 record. He was playing for the legendary Joe Hayden who had tutored the likes of Barry Larkin, Griffey Jr., Mark Mulder, and Corey Patterson. During one batting practice Burgess delivered a shot to right center that landed on the roof of the sporting complex close to 500 feet away.

Hayden would later tell reporters that he had only seen one other player do that before, Ken Griffey Jr. But Griffey did it three times.

“Plenty of players come out of the area, but how many are going to make it that’s the question. I think about it before I get on the field, and I try to play my heart out to be the next player out of Tampa, Florida to make it to the major league,” Burgess told Sports Illustrated’s Lucas O’Neill.

Hopefully for the Nationals it is the background of Burgess that will push him to achieve greatness. A background like Burgess’s forces humility, it forces drive, and most importantly it forces a talented young man to understand that god given talent just isn’t enough.

The six foot one, 225 pound outfielder was on the fast track to be the number one overall pick out of high school. He opened the eyes of scouts his sophomore year when he batted .505 with 10 homers and 20 stolen bases. He got them to salivate when he batted .511 with 12 homers and 24 stolen bases his junior year. Numbers like that made ball clubs even forget about his 95 MPH fastball and his 0.67 ERA in 20 innings that same year.

He has a build that reminds you of Bo Jackson, and an athletic skill-set that’s not too far off either. In high school Burgess ran a 6.8 60 yard dash and could squat over 600 pounds.

Then his senior year something happened. Burgess had been rated as the nations number one high school prospect, and had won the Jackie Robinson Award for the nations best high school player, yet his senior year he couldn’t muster more than a .338 batting average with only two homers in 25 games.

Burgess had become high school baseballs version of Barry Bonds. It wasn’t anything that he was doing wrong that caused the drop off in his stats, it was the opponents refusal to pitch to him. Pitches in the strike zone became like an endangered species for the young slugger, who saw seventeen intentional walks before his eight game of his senior year.

Burgess’s draft stock plummeted with the lack of numbers and the inability to reach expectations. Many felt that because he would likely slip out of the top 10 picks in the draft, he would attend Arizona State where he had committed to play that fall. This feeling caused Burgess to drop even further in the draft, all the way to the Washington Nationals third pick, and the 49^th overall.

The outfielder has had solid success in his first two years in professional baseball. In his first year he combined to bat .318 between the Gulf Coast League Nats and the Vermont Lake Monsters. He Slugged 13 home runs and drove in 42 while reaching base at about .400. Starting in Hagerstown his second season he continued to show improved power but showed way less discipline, batting .249 with 18 home runs and 136 strikeouts.

It looks for Burgess that while he can hit the ball a mile he needs to shorten his stroke and make sure he’s making contact. The bottom line is a player needs to be able to bat over .250 in A ball if he wants to make it to the show, regardless of potential and power. Burgess claims he wants to be, ‘the first player to bat .500,’ so lets hope he put a lot of time in the offseason to improve his plate approach and discipline.

Outside of the batters box Burgess continues to impress. He has good hands for an outfielder and his rocket arm from the mound transfers to an all-star level gun from the corner spots. He has solid speed but not a lot of base stealing potential. He will likely start the season in Potomac and if he can continue to progress in the batters box, the 20 year old may only be a year or two from sniffing Nats Park.

Jack McGeary-Prospect number 5

2009-01-17T11:09:00.000-08:00

Rounding off the Nationals impressive 2007 draft, Jack McGeary is another potential first round talent that the team snagged in later rounds due to signability concerns. But while McGeary fits into the Nats 2007 brand of late round steals, nothing about the young lefties road to the majors will be normal.

The six foot three, two hundred pound starter excelled at Roxbury Latin high school in Massachusetts, both in and out of the classroom. Often described as an absolute perfectionist, its not surprising that the young man would be able to set up an agreement to have his cake and eat it too.

You see, McGeary had earned himself admission to Stanford University, one of the best colleges in the country. He earned it not only on the baseball field, but in the classroom as well. Many clubs saw McGeary as a lock to go to sunny California in the fall, which is why he fell so far in the draft. The Nationals leadership knew what a great talent McGeary was however, and gave him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

The deal reached by the two parties, minutes before the deadline gave McGeary first round money (1.8 million dollars) and a 200,000 dollar scholarship to attend Stanford. The unique deal not only gave a sixth round pick first round money (much to the dismay of other clubs in the league), it allowed the young lefthander to study four years at Stanford while working out daily and pitching for the club’s minor league affiliates in the summer.

Today McGeary spends his time in his dorm room like many other 19-year-old Stanford students. But instead of going out to the frat party Friday night or sleeping in Saturday morning, he is waking up at 6 A.M to drive to Santa Cruz University to workout on their facilities. Stanford won’t let him use their varsity complex anymore, not after the stud recruit decommited from Stanford, but still decided to attend the university. On some weekends he will spend 12 hours on a plane just so he can get 8 hours of instruction at Vieira Beach, Florida from Nationals minor league scouts. So far the young man has been impressive in his ability to handle both the classroom, and the professional baseball life.

It is however, yet to be seen whether this deal will hurt his development. Almost all young players play year round, on a team. There is a lot to be said for pitching in actual games, playing alongside teammates, and having a coach push you harder than you can push yourself. McGeary wont have that experience, at least not during the school year anyways. I don’t know if workouts alone will be enough to develop the young player, in fact, no one does. It’s a true experiment to say the least, but as Jacks mom said, “If anyone can do it, he can.”

The lefty combines an outstanding curveball with excellent control, and a fastball that shows natural movement. That fastball only reaches about 89-90 right now, but has the potential to be improved as he matures. His large frame (6-3, 200 LBS) suggests that he has the body to be a big league starter and his personal coaches all say he understands the mindset needed to be successful on the mound. Baseball America named him as having the best curveball and the best control in the organization.

So far his performance has been mixed. At the age of 19 he only has 14 professional starts. He’s been hit around a little bit, although not hard. In 66.1 IP he has allowed 70 hits, but only two home runs. He has only let up 21 walks and has struck out 73. Overall he is 2-3 with a 4.48 ERA.

Despite the amounts of hits and runs he is letting up, his high K/BB ratio shows promise. He knows how to get hitters out when he gets deep in the count, he probably just needs to improve his fastball to get ahead early. McGeary could be a major league starter someday, but I believe with his stunted development with his arrangement, it wont be until he is about 26 or 27.

The Man Who Loved To Play vs. The Man Who Loves The Game

2009-01-13T10:04:00.000-08:00

It makes sense.

The greatest leadoff hitter of all-time; who loved the game, the attention, and most of all himself, would be inducted into the hall of fame the first year he was eligible. Just one more thing that makes Rickey Henderson stand out as exceptional in spite of himself.

The same year the much-maligned outfielder, Jim Rice, who never seemed to enjoy the game or the media, would be inducted into the hall of fame on his very last chance. Just one more thing that makes Jim Rice stand out as disappointingly mediocre despite his abilities.

Neither player was particularly adored or held in high respects by the media or the fans. Yet the two outfielders could not be any more different in their style of play, relationship with the press, and career accomplishments.

I remember one spring morning when I was about 11; my father and me went to Port St. Lucy to watch the Mets practice before their game. Back then the complex was essentially a free for all with only small fences serving as the boundary between fan and player. I leaned up against the fence to watch as Bobby Valentine gave a speech to the infielders about the art of bunt defense while my dad wandered off to sit cross legged in the outfield while chatting up Mookie Wilson about 1986.

The infield meeting ended and the players scattered to various parts of the complex. I got some autographs, shook some hands, and felt for a moment that I was part of the team. I decided to walk along the fence that stretched up the left field line to find my father.

Halfway up the line a voice called out to me, “What’s up little dude?” I looked to my right and five feet away from me on the other side of the fence stood a 40-year-old man in a Mets uniform.

“You’re Rickey Henderson!” I yelled out, shocked that any ball player would speak with me, much less get MY attention.

“Rickey knows that,” he replied.

We chatted a bit while walking up the left field line. He asked me what position I played and where I was from. It was an amazing experience for an 11 year old baseball fan but in retrospect it is even more impressive to me now.

No one was forcing, pressuring, or even asking this lock future Hall of Famer to make this kids day. No one saw him talking to me, he got no credit for it from the media or the ball club. Truth be told Rickey Henderson didn’t care what anyone thought about him, much less a lost looking pudgy kid.

Later that day we went from the Mets training complex to go watch the Red Sox play. We got to the park early, I placed myself in the front row, next to the dugout, prime reality for autographs. Some players walked by and said hello, some signed memorabilia. Manager Jimmy Williams even hung around a bit to chat with the fans.

Batting practice came around and getting autographs got harder. Players are professional and they know when it’s their job to play, and when it’s an opportunity to interact with fans. After much petitioning the fans were able to convince Brian Daubach to mosey over and sign some autographs between his turns at bat.

I was next in line to hand him my ball to sign, when a bellowing voice cried out from the dugout. “Get the hell out of here Brian!”

An older figure emerged wearing baseball pants and a coaching windbreaker. I held out my ball for him to sign, but a slightly older autograph seeker grabbed my arm and pulled it back. The older man shook his head at me and turned around, muttering something to himself.

“You don’t ask Jim Rice for autographs,” the boy who grabbed my arm turned and said to me in a Boston accent. “I’ve seen him take away and even destroy things that people have tried to get him to sign, he’s no good.”

That was the difference between Jim and Rickey. Like Rickey, Jim didn’t care what the effect of his actions would be on the media or the fan base. But the difference was Jim didn’t want anything to do with me, the fans, or anything except the game itself.

It was this attitude that kept him from making the Hall of Fame earlier. The same attitude that caused conflicts with the media, the fans, and caused an 11 year old boy to be afraid of big league coaches.

Rickey on the other hand had no ill intent; he was just a little off. He loved baseball and was damn good at it. It was just his people skills that he had trouble with. However when you look back on his 24 year career you realize; his longevity, his willingness to play anywhere, and his dedication to excellence, is all proof to his true love for the game.

In the end Ricky Henderson did it the right way and Jim Rice did it the wrong way, and that’s why there were inducted the way they were.

Here is hoping that in 20 years a 60 year old uniformed man will call over the fence to a lost looking pudgy baseball fan asking, “What’s up little dude?”

Derek Norris- Prospect # 6

2009-01-12T09:25:00.000-08:00

Derek Norris is another potential first round draft pick that the Nationals were able to snag in a later round. The six foot, 200 pound, catcher from Goddard Kansas dominated the Jayhawk state his junior year of high school. The right handed power hitter scorched opponents batting .500 with 11 doubles, 3 home runs and 36 RBI's, earning all-state, all-league, all-metro, and honorable mention All-American in 2006.

Like many potential, but not lock first round draft talents, Goddard committed to play to a school (Wichita State University) the fall of his senior year as a safety net in case he didn't get the kind of professional opportunity he hoped for. This seemed like a brilliant move for Norris after an arrant throw struck him in the head while he was standing in the dugout, causing him to start the season slowly.

Norris was able to rebound however, earning all state honors again as well as making Louisville's All American team. Norris was also named player of the year for the state of Kansas. Because of his slow start however, and his 'inbetweener' status as a third basemen/catcher, Norris slipped to the fourth round of the 2007 draft where the Nationals picked him up and signed him with a $210,000 signing bonus.

He started playing for the Gulf Coast League Nats right away and got quality playing time at the age of 18. In 37 games he had 123 at bats and played almost exclusively at catcher. Norris disappointed by only batting .203 and slugging only .382. The young backstop however did show exceptional plate discipline for an 18 year old, getting on base at .344. This, along with his potential for power, earned him a promotion to the Vermont Lake Monsters in 2008.

Here Norris excelled. In 70 games he batted .278/.444/.463, while hitting 10 homers and driving in 38 runs. The improvement caught the attention of Baseball America who named him the fourth best prospect in the New York Pen League. He was also named to the NYPL all-star team and was named the Lake Monsters player of the year.

Norris's scouting report from The Baseball Cube

Norris's most impressive attribute is his plate patience. For such a young player (19), reaching base 44% of the time is truly impressive. His power stroke returned as well meaning that if Norris can ever get his contact rate up he could be a very dangerous hitter at every level. His ability behind the plate also improved dramatically as he threw out 49% of attempted base stealers.

Norris has major league ability. The Nationals however seem to be strongest right now at the catching position with Jesus Flores only 24 years of age and fellow top 10 prospect Adrien Nieto competing at the same spot. Norris could be converted to a first basemen and be forced to compete with Morrero for the future at that position, or he could possibly be made into a corner outfielder.

These are questions however that don't need to be answered for at least a few years, as he is a solid 2-3 years away from the majors. He should start out the season next year at Harrisburg and depending on his development he could be brought up to Triple A by seasons end.

Nat Fact: Norris was named Baseball America's prospect of the day on July 29th when he reached base 8 out of 9 at bats in an 18-inning marathon against lowell.

Destin Hood-Prospect # 7

2009-01-09T08:09:00.001-08:00

With their second pick in the 2008 draft, the Washington Nationals selected Destin Hood.

Hood is a tremendous athlete who prior to the draft had committed to play both football (3 star wide receiver recruit) and baseball at Alabama. His tremendous natural power and athleticism reminds you of a Mike Cameron or a Torri Hunter, but his raw skills make you realize that he will have to work hard to achieve Major League readiness.

Hood played shortstop for his high school, but he will likely be converted to an outfielder by the Nats. He has poor hands and his height and speed really convert perfectly to the outfield. The only thing he will need to do is improve his arm. His power in batting practice is incredible but it has yet to translate to in game success. This isn’t uncommon for pure athletes. Once he better understands the game and how to approach pitch counts, he will start turning on, and driving balls out of the park.

Here’s hood talking about his future after being taken 55th overall in the 2008 draft:

Destin Hood on draft

Hood playing football in high school:

Adrian Nieto-Prospect # 8

2009-01-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

Video Posted from Adrian's Gallery on Takkle.com

Adrian Nieto's future has never been certain. At the age of 4 his parents had to decide whether or not to take their young son from the shores of the communist nation of Cuba to a new life in the United States. Thirteen hours into the trip the Nieto's found themselves in a 60 year old raft overloaded with 20 people. The group was lost in the ocean, dehydrated and starving. They had to decide whether or not to give up on their quest for freedom. Minutes before turning back to Cuba and what may have been an equally certain death, the group was rescued by the U.S Coast Guard, and taken to Guantanamo Bay.

Held captive in the very same center that today holds the worlds most dangerous terrorists, the Nieto's had no idea what the future had in store for them, or their 4 year old son Adrian. The Nieto's were lucky, they were allowed to go to the states and live with their existing family in southern Florida.

The family made a home for itself. Adrian grew up and attended American Heritage high school alongside future top 10 pick Eric Hosmer. Nietomade his name on the national scene when he hit .381 with four homers and 27 RBI as a sophomore, earning AFLAC All-American honors.

His junior year would however leave his future once again in uncertainty. He injured his elbow and knee and could not compile a full season. Scouts began to worry, teammates began to outshine him, and his draft stock began to fall. Before his injury he had committed to Southern Florida, but after he inexplicably decomimitted, confusing and concerning scouts. Nieto put time into his rehab and was able to bounce back his senior year by batting .373 with 21 extra base hits, leading his team to a state championship.

Uncommitted to any school, Nieto turned his attention to the draft. Rumor had it that Nieto was late first, early second round talent. However a much different, much worse rumor was also swirling around. It was assumed by many clubs that Nieto and the Baltimore Orioles had some sort of under the table deal that would stop him from signing with any club except the birds. This caused the promising young catcher to plummet in the draft, until the Washington Nationals took him in the 5th round. Nieto signed with the club no problem and looks forward to being a part of the teams future.

He expressed his excitement in a great interview with MASN's Kristen Hudak:

"I'm really looking forward to being on the Major League team, hopefully soon, and making them a winner and a contender every year -- bringing them that first championship for all the fans up there because like I said they are really supportive and they deserve that. I really want to be part of that first championship team up there."

"You're never going to forget your first Spring Training. I'm really looking forward to it, to becoming a better baseball player and to make progress, getting closer toward my ultimate dream of becoming a Major Leaguer. (I) just need to get better, every year get a little bit better and try to be one of the best at my position."

Nieto also appears to be a good kid with a good head on his shoulders. He spoke about his baseball influences:

"My favorite baseball player is Pudge Rodriguez. But the guy I really look up to is Derek Jeter, because he's such a big role model, not only on the field but off the field. And he's never really had any problems off the field with controversy or anything like that. He just does everything right. I look up to him because of that. And I want to be like that too. I want to be team captain one day. He's got his own charity too and that's something I would like to have. That's sort of the guy I look up to. My favorite player is Pudge, but I really want to be more of a person or role model like Derek Jeter."

While Nieto's optimism is refreshing, he is still a good ways away from the majors. He is sound defensively behind the plate, and even with the arm injury his

arm is still very strong. His true potential is still yet to be seen, however, as he has not had much experience against professional competition. Playing in 8 games with the Gulf Coast Nationals he went 5/23 with 3 doubles and no homers.

Scouting Report from Minorleaguebaseball.com

As Nieto put it, he "got a good taste of professional competition." He will likely start the season in Hagerstown if things go well in spring training. There is no rush to bring him up as Jesus Flores currently has the Nats catching spot on lockdown.

J.P Ramirez-Prospect # 9

2009-01-07T20:51:00.001-08:00

Video Posted from JP's Gallery on Takkle.com

Jonathan Paul Ramirez was taken by the Washington Nationals in the 16th round of the 2008 MLB draft. Already committed to Tulane University, many believed that drafting Ramirez was a waste, and signing him was unlikely for any club. However in late August when the Nats failed to sign first round pick Aaron Crow, they immediately turned to Ramirez offering him a one million dollar contract with the left-over money.

JP Ramirez, 18, was a standout at Canyon High School in New Braunfels Texas. Playing both outfield and first base, Ramirez lead his team his senior year batting .530 with 26 extra base hits. In his time at Canyon, Ramirez earned all-state honors three times and drew comparisons to fellow Canyon Alumni, Lance Berkman.

Outside of his high school performance there isn't a lot known about Ramirez. He signed with the Nationals just in time to get only 11 AB's in the Gulf Coast League. He excelled in the small sample size, going 4/11 with 8 RBI's and 4 walks.

Scouts describe Ramirez as, "A pure hitter with a quiet, quick and precise left handed stroke. Has shown ability to hit consistently, and has had little trouble handling quality stuff. All signs point to continued offensive production. He Also runs very well, and has shown arm strength."

At 5 foot 10 and only 185 pounds, Ramirez doesn't have very much size. He projects to be a slap hitting center fielder without incredible stolen base speed. It's rather odd for a 16th round pick to be placed on the list of top 10 prospects for a team before he has more than 15 at bats at any professional level. This could either be an indictment on the Nationals farm system, or Baseball America's true belief that Ramirez is a diamond in the rough. While BA didn't place Ramirez in the Nats 2012 line up, they did say he was the programs best hitter for average.

Esmailyn Gonzalez-Prospect # 10

2009-01-07T13:19:00.001-08:00

Some say one of the biggest failures for Washington since the team’s creation has been their inability to land the big free agent. Those people are forgetting about Esmailyn Gonzalez.

In 2006 Gonzalez signed with Washington out of his hometown of Pizarrete, in the Dominican Republic, at the age of 16. The Nats beat out many other Major League suitors and inked this talented phenom shortstop to a minor league deal with a $1.4 million signing bonus.

Gonzalez may very well be the brightest hope for what many consider a weak Washington Nationals farm system. He possesses everything you want in a young prospect; he hits for power, average, he can field, throw and has speed, a true five tool player. The most impressive aspects of this young switch hitter however, are his ability to produce, his head, and his age.

At only the age of 18 Gonzalez finished his second season for the Gulf Coast Nationals in 2008. In 51 games he improved his batting average by 100 points from the year before, finishing the season batting .343, winning the Gulf Coast League batting title. More impressively, Gonzalez continued to show excellent plate patience for the second straight year, improving his on base percentage from .382 to .431.

Gonzalez’s Numbers

His Ability to get on base is an excellent sign for his future. Few young players have the ability to accurately select pitches and understand the importance of getting on base. Young players like Gonzalez are often more eager to go out and flash their skills by swinging at every pitch that comes over the plate. While this often works in Rookie and A ball, many young players find these tactics end up killing them when they get to the Big Show. Gonzalez’s plate patience shows great maturity and is a promising sign for his ability to further develop, and quickly.

Jose Reyes vs. Gonzalez

Scouts report that for a young player, Gonzalez hits a way better percentage of line drives than pop-ups. This is clearly evident in his ability to bat .343 last season. Many ‘toolsy’ players receive much attention adoration before they actually put their tools to work. Gonzalez however clearly haw already been able to put it together at the plate, at least for average. This makes him that much more of a promising prospect; his potential is turning into skill already.

Before he is anointed, ‘the savior,’ just yet, lets remember the kid is just 18. Gonzalez has yet to play even a game in A ball and still has a lot to work on. He has only hit two home runs in 82 minor league games, but scouts say his swing and body type should translate to power. His slugging percentage improved from a measly .311 in 2007 to a solid .475 in 2008. His ability to drive the ball for power will need to progress in order for him to move through the ranks.

Most notably, Gonzalez needs to work on his glove. While scouts said that he had very solid hands and smooth mechanics at shortstop, it has yet to translate to on the field success. So far he has already combined for 25 errors in only 79 games at shortstop. This should be a red flag but nothing too alarming. Shortstop after all is the games toughest position and other shortstops have had similar trouble early on. If he can’t figure it out he can always pull a BJ Upton and fill in that centerfield hole in Washington.

Esmailyn Gonzalez may very well be the Nationals top prospect. With another year of success under his belt it’s likely that he will be number one on this list, and within another two years he may be a mid season call up to Nats Park. He projects to be a Derek Jeter type player, who will hit for high average and get on base. The Nationals will continue to be careful with this kid, as he will start the season in A ball Hagerstown next season.

J-Zimmerman tops off the top 10

2009-01-06T16:35:00.000-08:00

While the list wasn’t supposed to come out until tomorrow, apparently the Washington Times got their hands on an early copy.

Nationals Top 10 Prospects:

1. Jordan Zimmerman

2.Ross Detwiler

3. Chris Marrero

4. Michael Burgess

5. Jack Mcgreary

6. Derek Norris

7. Destin Hood

8. Adrian Nieto

9. J.P Ramirez

10. Esmailyn Gonzalez

Over the next 10 days I will talk about each one of these prospects and analyzing their future and their place on this list.

Cubs land Bradley

2009-01-05T13:58:00.000-08:00

According to ESPN.COM the Chicago Cubs and Milton Bradley have agreed to terms on a three year deal worth $30 million. The deal will have the slugging outfielder roaming the Ivy Walls at Wrigley alongside Alfonso Soriano, Reed Johnson and Kosuke Fukodome.

The move certainly gives the Cubs some extra pop in their line up. They now boast a heart of the order with Bradley, Derek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, and Alfonso Soriano. This certainly re-establishes the Cubs as a favorite in the NL Central if not the National League overall.

The three year $30 million deal is a great buy. This would have been a good contract for the Nationals, but Bradley most likely wanted to go to a contender. Can he survive in Chicago? He certainly had his troubles in LA...

Top targets remaining for the Nationals:

Adam Dunn

Orlando Hudson

Nationals want Milton

2009-01-04T13:01:00.000-08:00

MLB.COM reports that the Washington Nationals are currently in serious pursuit of All-Star outfielder Milton Bradley. The Nats are currently on the rebound after being rejected by new Yankees first basemen Mark Teixeira and are looking to add a solid bat to place in the middle of the order to give support to their younger hitters.

Bradley shocked critics last year, recovering from what many considered to be a career ending knee injury to not only make it back to the big leagues, but come close to winning the batting title with a line of .321BA, 22 HR, and 78 RBI. Bradley also led the American League in on base percentage, a stat that was very poor for the Nats in 08 (.323), with a .436 mark.

Bradley, 30, was originally drafted by the Montreal Expoes in the second round of the 1996 draft, he has since bounced around between six teams and has not been able to find stability in any stop. Bradley has only played more then 126 games in a season once and his ability to stay healthy is currently questioned.

Reasons the Nationals should go after Milton

Bradley is a professional hitter; the Nationals are stock full of professional athletes. Moving to get Milton will not only help the team win a few more games immediately by giving them a guaranteed .300, .380 and 20, he will also hopefully be a good baseball influence on the inexperienced Nationals outfielders. One thing that Bradley does as well as anyone is select his pitches and make solid line drive contact. This is a learned ability, not a natural one.

Bradley also will add a bat from the left side of the plate, something the ball club also desperately needs. If the Nats elect to put him in front or behind Zimmerman, it will stop opposing managers from pitching around the two batters, and it will keep lefty/righty specialists out of the game.

Reasons not to drink the Kool Aid

1. While Bradley’s 2008 was very impressive at first glance, a deeper look raises a few concerns. Take a look at the splits:

Bradley played his home games at the Ballpark in Arlington last season, renowned as possibly the best hitters park in baseball outside of Colorado.

Home BA/OBP/SLG: .358/.466/.679

Away BA/OBP/SLG: .290/.410/.462

The away numbers here are still very solid but do not compare to the home numbers he put up. It’s much more reasonable for Nats fans to expect that second line, not the first.

2. Bradley put up a career high home run total (22) in 2008. This has made him a solid middle of the order threat, and a likely candidate to bat third or fourth for the Nationals if they attain him in 2009. However what should concern Nats fans is that Bradley only hit three homers in the second half last year, after hitting 19 in the first.

This is even more alarming when you remember that Bradley was in his first season recovering from a terrible ACL Injury. When a player’s power tapers off like that after the wear and tear of a season sets in, it’s a strong indicator that their injury is resurfacing and likely bothering them. Tack this on to the fact that Bradley has never exactly been a pillar of health, the Nats need to be cautious with investing money into what may be damaged goods. Anyone remember Nomar Garciaparra’s ‘injury comeback’ year of 2006?

Pre All Star: .358/.426/.578 Post All Star: .229/.286/.408

Nomar hasn’t been the same since.

3. The reports I have read have said the Nats plan on playing Bradley in centerfield in order to move Lastings Milledge into left or right, a more natural position for him. The Nats right now are sold on Dukes and Milledge as their corner outfielders of the future, but don’t really believe they have a solid centerfield option. Putting Bradley in centerfield would allow the younger two to develop quicker without the pressures of playing out of position.

However it isn’t clear why Jim Bowden believes Milton Bradley can play centerfield. He has not played more than 15 games there since 2005 and played no games there in his injury comeback year last season. In fact, Bradley only played 20 total games in the outfield last year where he committed three errors, an incredible amount for only 20 games. Bradley spent most of the season last year DHing, so his ability to play centerfield is certainly in question.

4. Bradley went to Texas and found instant offense. Lets look at who he had protecting him in the line up.

Kinsler: .319/.375/.517 18 HR 71 RBI

Young: .284/.339/.402 12 HR 71 RBI

Hamilton: .304/.371/.530 32 HR 130 RBI

Protecting him with the Nats?

Guzman: .316/.345/440

Milledge: .268/.330/.402

Zimmerman:.283/.333/.442

One more thing…isn’t he crazy?

Milton Bradley…has a reputation…So much to the point where he has been nicknamed by various sportscenter anchors as Milton ‘Crazy’ Bradley.

2002: Taken to the Hospital after having ‘too much to drink’

2004: Threw a bucket of balls onto the field after being ejected

2007: Tore ACL trying to argue with

Bud Black after being called out at first base

2008: Attempted to accost a Royals broadcaster after he heard things he felt was unfair about his character.

Quotes:

“..It’s not funny to Milton Bradley.”-Milton Bradley

“I want people to say Milton Bradley was a pretty good ballplayer and a pretty good person. Anybody who is going to stand between me getting there, then they need to be eliminated.”-Milton Bradley

Conclusion

If the Nationals are considering signing this guy for more than three years, it’s not funny to YardYoder. His body wont hold up, his numbers are inflated, and he has yet to prove that he can keep it together mentally for a full season. Signing him for more than three years would in effect be saying that this is the team’s franchise player and an absolute cornerstone. I don’t think he has that type of ability or longevity.

However if the Nationals are looking to sign him to fill a gap for a few years, to give the fans some thrills and to be a on the field teacher to the youngin’s, go for it. His contract will expire around the time the Nationals are ready to compete, and around the time Bradley’s career will start to wind down.

While he had a meltdown or two last years it really looks like Bradley has legitimately made a move to get his mind set on straight. The New York Times had an excellent article last all star break about his maturation and hopefully this means he can be a positive influence on players like Dukes and Milledge and not negative.

Show me the money

2009-01-02T10:12:00.000-08:00

After talking to many Nationals fans I have come to notice that not many really know much about the team’s payroll. I think it’s something really important for fans to understand, especially this time of year. If you understand where the team’s money is going, you can form a better understanding of where money should be going in free agency.

So here are some of the bigger contracts.

Nick Johnson 1B 3 Years-16.5 Million (last year)
2009 Salary: 5.5 Million

Austin Kearns OF 3 Years 17.5 Million (last year)
2009 Salary: 8 Million

Cristian Guzman SS 2 Years 16 Million (one year left)
2000 Salary: 8 Million

Ronnie Belliard UTL 2 Years 3.5 Million (last year)
2009 Salary: 1.9 Million

Wily Mo Pena OF 1 Year with Option
2009 Salary: 2 Million
2010= 2 Million dollar payer option, 5 million dollar club option

Willie Harris 2 years 3 Million (one year left)
2009 Salary: 1.5 Million

Still under arbitration

Ryan Zimmerman
Elijah Dukes
Lastings Milledge
Scott Olsen
Josh Willingham
Jesus Flores
Jason Bergman
John Lannan
Matt Chico
Shawn Hill
And the list goes on….

Nats sign 5 to minor league deals

2008-12-26T14:20:00.000-08:00

The Nationals gave fans an early Christmas present by singing five players with major league potential to minor league contracts. It was a return to normal for the Nats. A response to the New York Yankees swooping in and taking the apple of Jim Bowden’s eye, the free agent many considered out of our league, Mark Teixeira.

The Nats looked long and hard at themselves, their worth, and their plan…and evidently woke up and smelled the f*&%$*#@ coffee. They made some solid deals in the process.

The team inked former Oriole Corey Patterson, RHP Jorge Sosa, LHP Gustavo Chacin, infielder Jose Castillo and wayward Molina son; catcher Gustavo Molina. It was also the first day in MLB history that a team signed two Gustavo’s (not actually sure if that’s true…but its got to be).

Corey Patterson rose through the Cubs system as a future superstar who never quite developed into the promise his athleticism held. He finally put it together in his first season in Baltimore, batting .276 with 16 homers and swiping 46 bases. His second year was rather similar but while his stolen base numbers were high his OBP was abysmal (.314 and .304) so he couldn’t serve as a viable leadoff hitter.

He was traded and played absolutely horrendously for the Reds in 2008, batting .205 with an OBP of .238. The Nats are hoping that he may be able to be a more disciplined hitter as he approaches the age of 30, and may be able to be a true centerfielder and leadoff hitter for the club. Is this a likely outcome? No. But it is worth the risk of a one year deal valued at less than a million dollar.

Gustavo Chachin at one point in his career looked to be one of the better young left -handers in the American League. For Toronto at the age of 25 he posted a 13-9 season with a 3.72 ERA, showing a nasty curveball and good control with 70 walks in 202 innings for a rookie. His arm fell off in 2006 however and has only pitched 104 innings since, including none in 2008. He’s only 28 however, and if he has rebuilt his arm could very well be a starter in the Nationals rotation. The Nats signed him to a minor league deal for 90K, which bumps to 600K if he makes the major league club. Once again, no risk on this deal, potential high reward.

Jorge Sosa and Jose Castillo both have full-season major league experience and could contribute if they come to camp prepared. Both have the potential to be impact players but both have potential to be triple A fixtures. However…like the other signees, low risk, high potential.

Jim Bowden may know what the hell is going on after all.

Tex-Mess comes to an end.

2008-12-23T16:15:00.001-08:00

Out of nowhere the New York Yankees swooped in to sign prized free agent Mark Teixeira tuesday afternoon. The deal sent shockwaves through the AL East and the rest of the baseball community as the Yanks not only showed up two division rivals in getting Tex, but also for the first time in MLB history signed their second 100 million + dollar contract in the same season.

Tex will play first base and will add that extra umph the Yankees had missing last year. With a new line up, and a new starting rotation with C.C Sabathia and A.J Burnett, the Yanks have to be the odds on favorite to win it all in 2009.

One Year Solutions

2008-12-23T12:21:00.000-08:00

Lets Face it, the Nationals aren't going to compete next year. The Players we need to be targeting are those who are young with great upside, or those who are old who can carry us through next season while the young guns develop. Here are some options.

Ben Sheets: He hasn’t pitched a complete season since 2004 when he posted an incredible 2.70 ERA with 264K’s and only 32 walks. Since 04 when he has been healthy he has been nothing but filthy as well. So why aren’t the big market teams throwing money at him like they did Sabathia? He has to prove to the big boys that he can pitch a full season before they’ll give him a 5 year deal that will support his grandkids grandkids. Often times when pitchers are in this situation, they will get about this far into free agency before they realize they may need one more year to prove themselves. So why don’t the Nats offer him a one year deal, for a solid chunk of money (8-15 million). He has the incentive to stay healthy and perform to try and land a big time deal from a competitor in 2010. Best case scenario; he is the best pitcher in baseball the first half and the Nats trade him for prospects. Worst case scenario? He pitches 12 solid games and gets hurt…and he’s gone next year. No commitment, no problems.

Mark Prior: Was the next Tom Seaver, but last year his numbers weren’t any better than mine. Prior has been about as injury plagued as anyone, no one knows if he still has an arm, or even if he still remembers how to pitch. This means he couldn’t possibly demand much of a contract. He’s your prototypical why not guy, sign him to a low pay one year deal and who knows, you may find yourself an allstar starter. It’s not like having him on the DL will hurt the Nationals chances this season….

Randy Johnson: Are you seeing a trend? We know he wants to pitch another season (5 wins from 300 and 211K’s from 5000), but will he want to go to a competitor? He’s won a World Series already, so that might not be an issue. If he’s willing to pitch for a team without a chance, he will probably be willing to sign a one year deal with D.C. He can still pitch ( 2.41 ERA with 78K’s in the second half last year), and he can defiantly teach a young pitcher with a similar career bath such as Daniel Cabrera a thing or two. We know he likes pitching in small markets; Washington might just be the place for him.

Marcus Giles: Once labeled as the next great second basemen, fell off the table incredibly fast into obscurity. He was Dustin Pedroia and somehow turned into Stubby Clapp. At the age of 30, he’s worth a shot with a minor league deal. He’s a good utility guy and if he refinds his stroke, he could definitely start at second over Ronnie Belliard. We know that his downfall had to do with personal issues, perhaps his maturity will help him regain at least a glimpse of his former allstar self. No real risk here…

The Tex-Mess, what tangled webs we've woven

2008-12-22T21:40:00.000-08:00

MASN Online reported today that a source claimed the Nationals have upped their offer to free agent first basemen Mark Teixeira. The Nats are now reportedly are offering somewhere between $178 and $184 Million for 8 years.

If that weren't enough, rumors have reported the Nationals leadership is considering expanding their offer to nine or ten years to accommodate Boras' demands. It's also been rumored that to sweeten the pot, the Nationals may be offering an opt out clause, much like the one C.C Sabathia had included in his deal this offseason. This would serve as an escape hatch for Teixeira after he realizes he signed a deal with a team that is further away from the playoffs than many of us would hope.

While as a whole these possible additions to the contract really don't mean a whole lot in terms of offering too much (whats an extra 8-10 million when you're spending 170 already?). They do however speak worlds about the inexperience and the naivety of the Nationals front office. As we've seen with the moves in the last several days, this part of the negotiation process has become a chess match for the big boys in the talks with Boras. The Redsox have called Boras' bluff and have walked away from the table, where the Angels have just retracted their offer all together. With the anonymity of the offer process, it leaves GM's and agents in a guessing game of who means what they say and say what they mean.

The Nationals are still playing checkers. It appears they are just indulging Boras in a way the bigger and more experienced teams wont.

It's as if Boras' client is the girl who every guy is after. They'll wine and dine her, show her why they're worthy, and show what they'll give to have her. But the older and wiser guys (The Sox and Angels) realize the truth in time...they're just being played. Are the Nats just being led on?

I could be wrong. Maybe the Nats do see and understand this. Maybe they just know that they can't afford to call Boras' bluff because they aren't as qualified a suitor as the others. But maybe thats just giving Jim Bowden a little too much credit...

Expect a deal before the new year (No one wants to start the year single after all).

Say-What Willie?

2008-12-22T20:23:00.000-08:00

Nats utility man Willie Harris supports the teams push for Teixeira. Harris played half a season in 2007 with Tex in Atlanta, and has first hand knowledge of his impact in the clubhouse. This is what he had to say.

"I mean, that's a big move, and it definitely shows the rest of the players—everybody else in the clubhouse, everybody else in the organization—that it's time for a change. Whether we get Tex or not, just trying to get him shows everybody else in the clubhouse that it's time to win. ... God knows, I hope Tex comes here."

Nats sign Cabrera

2008-12-20T21:13:00.000-08:00

The Nats got tired of waiting around to hear from Agent Boras and made a deal today. They picked up former Orioles young gun Daniel Cabrera for one year with undisclosed terms.

The Orioles had previously considered Cabrera a key to their future but gave up on him this offseason after four consecutive years of regression. The 6 foot 8 righty burst onto the scene in 2004 with his high 90's fastball and strong slider. In 27 starts he posted a 5.00ERA but had a solid 12-8 record. This was enough for the Orioles leadership to decide he was major league ready as he became a staple in the rotation for the next 4 years.

Cabrera just couldn't make that jump that everyone expected him to in Baltimore. His frame, arm strength and youth suggested superstar potential, but his best year saw him go 10-13 with a 4.52 ERA and 157 K's. That was 2005, since then its just gotten worse and worse. While Cabrera will occasionally have games where he flashes brilliance and dominating stuff, more often than not fans will see him walking too many batter and giving up the big hit in the wrong time. It's that dominating stuff that keeps scouts hoping....

The bottom line is the Orioles very likely ruined Cabrera. He was up pitching a full season in the majors for the O's by the age of 23 before even pitching a game in triple A, he clearly wasn't ready. It took Cabrera 2 seasons to get out of rookie ball at the ages of 20-21, and at the age of 22 he didn't improve much in low A ball either. Regardless he was promoted to Bowie the very next season and in his first five starts he dominated, posting a 2.63 ERA with 35 K's in 27 innings.

What did the Orioles do next? Move him up to Baltimore...naturally...the rest was history.

Perhaps he will mature at the age of 28 and figure it out, and end up being a very good starter for the Nationals. If he does what he did last year, it will be a solid contribution as well. Right now all the Nats need are pitchers to fill out their rotation and get them through the next few years until they can compete.

Know Your Nats-John Lannan

2008-12-19T13:07:00.000-08:00

John Lannan grew up in Long Island. He attended the prestigious Chaminade, a private all boys high school in New York, where he lettered in Baseball and became the teams captain. Lannan was a standout but not a superstar. It's hard to stand out though when your fellow alumni have names like Bill Oreilly, Bob Mckillop and Al Groh. Continuing the Chaminade tradition of 100% of graduates being accepted to college, and 99% attending, Lannan elected to attend the small Sienna College. As one of the smaller Division 1 schools in the country, Sienna proved to be a perfect place for the crafty6 foot 5 lefty to learn how to become a dominant pitcher.

His freshman year was rocky, but Lannan earned the chance to pitch a lot of innings and learn under fire. His guts and his potential earned him the chance to start against the #1 ranked team in the nation, Florida State. He held is own only allowing five hits and two earn

ed in five innings, causing scouts to start to take notice of Lannan's talents. He finished the season with a 5.44 ERA in 44 innings.

Lannan continued to improve throughout his career at Sienna, culminating with his stellar junior season. Sienna won 29 games and Lannan tossed 10 of them, finishing with an impressive line of 10-2, 2.29 ERA, and 83 strikeouts in 82 innings. He also contributed 8 complete games in 12 starts. Pairing with another stellar junior, Ken Grant, Sienna went on to one of its best seasons and drew many professional scouts.

Lannan was selected in 2005 by the Washington Nationals in the 11^th round, as the 324^th overall pick. He signed and was in the organization in no time, pitching for the Vermont Expos. It was a rough professional debut for Lannan, producing poor numbers for low A Vermont with an ERA of 5.26 in 2005 and a slightly improved 4.46 respectively for high A Savannah in 2006. His poor performance was probably a result of fatigue more than anything else, he jumped directly into professional ball after pitching more innings than he ever had before at Sienna, without much of a break. Lannan was confident about his performance however, telling Scout.com:

“I felt like I did well for my first season. I enjoyed playing in Vermont and I was glad I got as many innings as I did. And, I was able to get a couple of wins for the team. The only thing I wish is that I didn't walk as many batters as I did."

Lannan also said he had trouble adjusting to professional hitters and the tighter professional strike-zone, a common problem for new pitchers. His velocity was still only peaking at 87-89 MPH on his fastball at this point, which is relatively slow for a pitcher with major league aspirations.

2007 was a brand new story for the young lefty. After adjusting his delivery, and working hard in the offseason to boost his velocity, the soutpaw made his move. He opened in Potomac, blazing the competition with a 6-0 record and a 2.13 ERA. He earned a quick promotion to double A Harrisburg where he continued to deal his junk to a 3-2 record with a 3.25 ERA. He earned yet another promotion to triple A columbus where his fast track to the majors continued with a 3-1 record and a 1.75 ERA. With the Nationals going nowhere, and their starting rotation dilapidated, Lannan earned his call up.

Lannan made his MLB debut July 26, 2007, and in stunning fashion. While his start only saw him pitch 5 innings, and allow 3 runs to the Phillies, his antics in the 5^th inning are what made him an immediate impact player. With one out Lannan hit fellow lefty Chase Utley with a fastball, causing him to break his hand and go on the DL. The very next pitch he hit Ryan Howard, forcing him to leave the game as well. Lannan was ejected, becoming the first pitcher to be ejected in his debut in over a decade. More importantly he became the object of much animosity from Philly fans, as a 'John Lannan must die,' movement began.

Lannan couldn't manage to get out of the spotlight in his third career start either. It found him pitching in San Francisco, in front of the national media...against Barry Bonds. Bonds was a homer shy of breaking Aaron's all time home run record, and Lannan was the man standing in his way. Lannan stepped up and preformed, as we would go to see him to many times.

Lannan started 2008 as an inexperienced, but potential filled starter. Expectations were low, but hopes were high that he could develop and be a permanent starter in the Nats rotation. He began the rotation behind Shawn Hill, Tim Redding, and Odalis Perez, but quickly moved up the ranks as he preformed at an ace level.

He finished the year with a 3.91 ERA and 117 strikeouts in 31 starts. It was an impressive first full season for the Nats lefty and a good foundation to build his career on. When the Nats were in a losing streak, and needed someone to pitch a gem, Lannan more often than not stepped up. His demeanor on the mound has fans excited and hopeful that he can develop into the ace this team needs.

Nats sign two 16 year olds

2008-12-19T09:10:00.000-08:00

The Washington Nationals announced today that they signed a pair of 16 year old prospects from the Dominican; left hander Gregory Baez and catcher Bill Pena. After researching for about half an hour about these two I couldn't find much more than what the Nationals said in their press release.

"Pena is a high-energy, two-way catcher with a very strong arm. At 6-foot-2, Baez has good size and has great potential. He throws with an effortless motion and gets outstanding late movement on his pitches."

That's about all we got, which isn't too surprising, they're 16...and from the Dominican. We'll just need to wait and see how they preform in camp and rookie ball, but what we can be sure of is that they are at the very least 2 years from the majors, and probably more like 5 or 6...assuming they even have the talent to get there.

Tex-Mess, The Plot Thickens

2008-12-18T23:14:00.000-08:00

My uncle from Boston visited tonight, pulled out his laptop and went straight to his bookmarked Boston Globe sports page.

“Gammons reports Redsox and Teixiera are close to a deal!” He boasted.

It was true. Epstein had flown out to Texas to meet Teixiera at his home in hopes of finalizing a deal that would lock up the slugging first basemen for 8 years for a total of $184 million. It seemed all but eminent, the Yankees were stewing, Sox fans were enjoying an early christmas, and Mike Lowell already had his foot out the door.

However in the blink of a Bill Buckner eye, those hopes vanished faster than the Wilpons' fortune. Right as most Sox fans were tucking their little Pedroia's and Papelbons into bed, a

new headline came across the ticker.

“Henry: 'We're not going to be a factor' for Teixeira.”

Shocking news to say the least, it had seemed to be all but a done deal. The Sox were going to put Teixeira at first, move Youkalis to third, and ship Lowell elsewhere. It would have bolstered their line up for the next half decade, and more than replace the hole Manny left. Ellsbury, Pedroia, Texierra, Ortiz, Youkalis, Bay and Drew; a true Hank Steinbrenner nightmare.

According to John Henry, the Redsox owner, another club had swooped in with a larger offer the team wasn't willing to match, promising Teixiera more money and for more years. The Redsox have been very firm in the past with the amount of years they have been willing to tack onto a contract, it's one of the main reasons they didn't sign another Boras client, Johnny Damon.

This means one of two things. Either super-agent Scott Boras is bluffing, and the Redsox are trying to call that bluff, or another team truly did sweep in with a bigger offer. With the Dodgers finalizing a deal with Raphael Furcal this afternoon, it would lead me to believe that the only other team in the hunt with the ability, and the brashness to offer a bigger deal would be our own Washington Nationals.

We reported earlier that there were rumors of the Nationals offering as much as 10 years for $200 million. Until now those reports had not been confirmed but it seems that with the Redsox announcing that they were outbid, this may be the very deal we will see signed in the next few days. This story continues to echo the Alex Rodriguez signing with the Texas Rangers several years ago.

Let's just hope again that if the Nationals sign the Tex-Mess, it will pay off for us, not just him.

Tim Redding to the Mets?

2008-12-16T18:42:00.000-08:00

The Nationals non-tendered Tim Redding this offseason allowing him to become a free agent. According to the New York Daily News the Mets have reported they're interested in signing him.

Redding at many points of the season was the best pitcher for Washington. In the first half Redding went 7-3 with a 3.85 ERA and 75 K's, however in the second half he couldn't quite produce at the same level, posting a 3-8 record with a 6.82 ERA.

While Redding certainly wasn't a part of the Nationals future, it would have been nice to see him stick around and eat up some innings for another year or two. New York will be a good place for him however, as he will have a chance to be a 4^th or 5^th starter on a potential playoff team.

Mark Teixeira? Just say NO

2008-12-16T10:06:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning to read this: according to some un-named source in the Nationals front office, they are “99% likely to land Teixeira.”

But wait! There's more; according to sources yahoo.com reports that the Nationals are willing to offer 20 million a year for up to 10 years. 200 million dollars!?!?! You have to be kidding me here Jim.

Don't get me wrong, Mark Teixeira is a great talent, and probably a great guy (even if he was on the Braves). He's a 28 year old, 6 foot 3 inch, 220 pound slugger who can hit for average, gets on base, and doesn't strike out all that much. His fielding ability has been praised by many and he's a local boy, from Annapolis.

It's not as if he came out of nowhere to produce these career numbers either, he's was a top 5 draft pick in 2001, and was a star at Georgia Tech. In fact I remember Baseball America quoting one of his minor league coaches as saying, “The only thing wrong with him is he's not extremely fast, his name is hard to spell, and he can't walk on water.”

Now that I've given him his due, let me explain why this deal would probably end in disaster for the Nats.

This season, splitting between Atlanta and Los Angeles (so hitting behind or in front of Chipper Jones or Vlad Guerrero) Texierra combined to bat .308 with 33 homers and 121 RBI. Compared to other first basemen in the league he ranked fourth in batting average, 8^th in homers, and fourth in RBI. Therefor it's safe to say he was probably the fourth or fifth best first basemen in the majors behind Pujols, Berkman, Howard, and Miguel Cabrerra (Maybe even Kevin Youkalis?). You can argue the order, but you can't argue that he's certainly better than any of these guys.

Lets also not forget about Prince Fielder, David Ortiz, Justin Morneau, Adrian Gonzalez....

So why do the Nationals want to pay him like he's Alex Rodriguez?

Miguel Cabrera contract- 8 Years/$152.3 million

Albert Pujols contract- 7 years/$100 million

Ryan Howard contract- 1 year/$10 million

Lance Berkman contract- 6 years/$85 million

Supposed Teixeira contract with the Nats- 7 years/$150 million – 10 years/$200 million

Let's not forget that the market, and the economy, is much more bear than they were when all those contracts were signed. More recently guys like reigning AL MVP Dustin Pedroia signed a 6 year/$40.5 million deal, and reigning AL Rookie of the Year Evan Longoria inked a 6 year/$17.5 million deal.

Economic disaster aside, the Nationals are very very far away from competing in any division, much less the National League East. They lost a league leading 102 games this season with poor pitching, poor hitting, poor fielding, and poor baseball intelligence. How far are they from turning this team into a playoff team? There's no clear answer for sure. They need their young talent who are a ways from the majors to develop, and they probably need to acquire a pitching prospect or two...then they need to wait about two or three years.

Quite frankly there aren't enough free agents out there for them to buy up and become a playoff team. So what impact could Teixeira have?

Positive impact: His WARP is listed as 10 wins above replacement player, which means based on his performance he would give his team an estimated extra 10 wins over a guy like Aaron Boone or whoever the Nats had filling in for injuries at first last year. That gives brings the team down to 92 losses...excellent. One could also argue that having his bat in the line up may give more protection to other batters, making their WARP slightly increase as well.

Negative impact: When Alex Rodriguez signed a mega-deal to a last place team in Texas, it crippled them financially. Sure, they did have the best player in baseball, but it didn't take them out of last place. It financially constricted them from getting good young free agents, and caused tension between a star who wanted to win, and a team that couldn't get out of his shadow.

Signing Teixeira would put the Nationals in a very similar situation. However a key difference is, Teixiera isn't the best player in baseball, he's three years older than Rodriguez at the time and most importantly, The Nationals already have the most money on the team invested into his position. Let's also not forget the Nats top prospect last year, Chris Morrero, plays first base.

So what would giving this contract to Teixeira do? It would lock up for 10 years a guy who will only be in his prime another 4 or 5, a time frame when the Nationals wont need a star because they probably wont be competing. It will restrict the team from getting better free agents over the next several years like Tim Lincecum, Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes and others. Let's also not forget we havn't even given team cornerstones John Lannan or Ryan Zimmerman a long term deal yet.

Let's rethink this Mr. Bowden.

The number one reward for last place

2008-12-15T17:27:00.000-08:00

Well the Nationals really dropped the ball with Aaron Crow. The Nats first round pick last year who was just shy of major league ready, chock full of talent, and was easily the best pitcher in college baseball, evidently wasn't worth the the extra Hendricks tax to sign him to the club. Instead of signing a below value contract, Crow elected to take the year off and re-enter the draft in the summer of 2009, where he is still projected to be a top 10 pick.

The good news for the club however is that their 102 loss season left them with the worst record in baseball, and as a result the Nats will have the number one overall pick in the upcoming draft. It seems the consensus top pick on everyones draft board is right handed pitcher Steven Strasburg, and he may very well be the savior of the Washington Nationals franchise. Many are already comparing him to previous top college pitchers David Price, Clayton Kershaw, Mark Prior, and Tim Lincecum.

A right-handed starter from San Diego State University, Strasburg has risen to the top of the college pitching ranks with authority both on the mound and with his reputation. At six foot four inches, 220 pounds, he stands as your prototypical power pitcher, but with the stuff to put him on the next level. His fastball sits in the high 90's, and he has been known to record 96 on the last pitch of a complete game. He has a plus-plus slider with two break planes and a developing change-up. His mechanics are smooth and he has a good head on his shoulders (turned down scholarships to Harvard and Yale).

Strasburg two biggest accomplishments came last year when first he struck out 23 Utah University batters en route to a complete game one hitter (he happened to be sick that day). And second, as the sole college player on the U.S Olympic baseball team, Strasburg pitched a one hitter sending his team to the medal rounds. Netherlands manager Jim Lefeabvre later said had they known about Strasburg, “They might not have shown up (New York Times).”

Video of Strasburgs 23 K game

Video of Strasburg in the pen

Bottom line: The Nats are lucky to have a shot at this once in a generation talent. While he certainly makes up for missing out on Crow, it sure would have been nice to have both of them in the mix, as they could be at the top of the rotation by 2011. The Nats should not hesitate to draft, sign, and coddle Strasburg at all cost.

Nats attempt to get Young in Rule-5 Draft

2008-12-15T07:23:00.000-08:00

In the first pick in the Rule-5 Draft the Nationals selected right handed reliever Terrell Young from Cincinnati. The 23 year old reliever will be asked to contribute right away to the Nationals bullpen with his 93-96 MPH fastball and an improving slider.

Young split time between low A Dayton and high A Sarasota last season. In 25 games for Sarasota he struck out 26 in 33 innings. He allowed 31 hits and 13 walks and recorded a 2.41 ERA, proving that he probably deserved another promotion before seasons end.Do to Rule-5 Draft stipulations Young will have to make the Nationals club out of spring training and stay with the team the entire year. If he does not he will be automatically shipped back to Cincinnati. This is often the problem with players selected in the Rule-5 Draft, espessially for players with Young’s experience (or lack there of).

He is probably not ready for the bigs yet, and barring a great showing in spring training, he will most likely get sent back to Cinci. This is no guarantee however. Let us not forget that Jesus Flores was a Rule-5 selection for the Nats from the Mets several years ago and was in a similar situation as Young.

For only more proof that experience isn’t everything one must only look to Josh Hamilton. The 26 year old outfielder was selected in the Rule-5 draft by the Reds after having been out of professional baseball for half a decade…we all see where his career has gone since.

A look at the Nats second and third round picks, Destin Hood and Danny Espinosa

2008-06-21T11:44:00.000-07:00

With their second pick in the 2008 draft, the Washington Nationals selected Destin Hood. Hood is a tremendous athlete who prior to the draft had committed to play both football (3 star wide receiver recruit) and baseball at Alabama. His tremendous natural power and athleticism reminds you of a Mike Cameron or a Torri Hunter, but his raw skills make you realize that he will have to work hard to achieve Major League readiness.

Hood played shortstop for his high school, but he will likely be converted to an outfielder by the Nats. He has poor hands and his height and speed really convert perfectly to the outfield. The only thing he will need to do is improve his arm. His power in batting practice is incredible but it has yet to translate to in game success. This isn’t uncommon for pure athletes. Once he better understands the game and how to approach pitch counts, he will start turning on, and driving balls out of the park.

The biggest question is whether or not the Nats will offer enough money to Hood to keep him from going to Alabama and not the Nats minor leagues. Hood Claims to love baseball the most, and a million dollar contract is hard for anyone to turn down. Still, Hood wouldn’t be the first person to turn down a big contract to play in college.

Here’s hood talking about his future after being taken 55th overall in the 2008 draft.

Destin Hood on draft

Destin Hood's football highlights, check out the athleticism.

Danny Espinosa is a good fielding shortstop from the shortstop factory of Long Beach State University. His predecessors; Bobby Crosby, Troy Tulowitzki, and Evan Longoria, have all made the conversion to the Major Leagues very quickly and effectively. While Espinosa does not have the flair from the plate that these hitters had coming out of college, he is more then competent from both sides and his glove is already major league ready.

Espinosa is another college player who is very polished. He has experience of three years in college, as well as participating for Team USA baseball and he became one of the only freshman to compete in the Cape Cod league back in 2006. While he still needs to improve his consistency from the left side, Espinosa’s instincts make him a very solid line drive hitter who can someday be a very solid major league shortstop. His plus arm and smart positioning in the field will make his transition that much easier, as he will only need to focus on improving his bat in the minors.

A look at the Nats first pick, Aaron Crow

2008-06-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

Aaron Crow came into his freshman year at Missouri as a scrawny right hander who could barley top out at 88 on the radar gun. The young faced teen would join the back end of a solid Tigers rotation that was headed by Max Scherzer, the 11th overall pick in the 2006 MLB Draft. While Crow had a pitchers build (6-3, 195) and solid form and movement, he was your typical work in progress college pitcher. He would be no Francisco Liriano or Felix Hernandez; Crow would have to work for his success.
His first year at Missouri was disappointing. Crow showed excellent control, allowing only 20 walks in 70 innings pitched. However despite his accuracy, his slower fastball and underdeveloped change allowed Big 12 hitters to hit him around for 94 hits. His ERA suffered and he only recorded a 1-4 record on a very good team.

It became apparent that at his current state, he would never be a top of the rotation starter, and it was most likely the best thing to ever happen to him.
Crow decided to learn how to become a pitcher. His stepped his training up to a Major League level. His fastballs velocity skyrocketed from peaking at 88, to peaking at 98, constantly landing between 94 and 96 on the radar. Crow polished his mechanics, endurance and changed his curveball to a pin-point slider. He learned to stop throwing hard, and to start throwing well. With this philosophy his fastball maintained speed but became less flat, and harder to hit.
His sophomore year went way better than his freshman. He lowered his ERA under 4; he improved his strikeout rate and lowered his hit rate. Crow was starting to get noticed to have MLB potential. His improvement rate was very impressive and his work ethic impressed scouts. He finished his season 9-3 with a 3.59 ERA earning first team all Big-12 honors.
The fallowing summer would be the most important of his life. Aaron Crow participated in the famous Cape Cod summer league which has traditionally been a launching pad for successful Major League careers. Scouts love the Cape Cod league because it brings the top talent in the country together in one place, and forces them to use wood bats on an even playing field. Crow propelled himself to the top pitching prospect in college baseball by absolutely dominating this difficult league. In 8 games Crow put up an unthinkable 0.67 ERA. He had 36 strikeouts to 9 walks, and made top college batters look silly.
Crow somehow again managed to improve coming into his junior year at Mizzou. In 15 starts in 2008 he went 13-0 with 4 complete games. In 107 innings pitched he struck out 127 batters while only walking 38. He was flat out the best pitcher in college baseball and even had a 42 inning shut out streak coming close to the college record of 47 (Held by Todd Helton). With Crow’s improvement and performance, he became one of the top pitchers ranked going into the draft, and was selected 9th by the Washington Nationals.

Analysis.

With Aaron Crow the Nationals have a pitcher that has the potential to be a frontline starter without a mountain of work. He is very polished and has shown that he has the work ethic to improve and take his abilities to the next level. While he may not have quite Cy Young potential, he certainly has fringe ace ability and certainly could develop into a top number 2 starter. Most importantly for the Nats however, Crow is almost Major League ready as is. It would not be outlandish to see him making starts in Washington in 2009. To put it simply, the Nats may have drafted the pitching version of Ryan Zimmerman. A great college player ready to help the big league club after just a little bit of development.

HallELIJAH!

2008-06-20T23:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes even on a night when only one player has it going, the team can come out on top. On a night where the teams leading hitter, Cristian Guzman, went 0-7, and the teams number 3 hitter, Lastings Milledge, went 0-5, it was the man in the two slot who put his team on his shoulders and carried them to victory. That man, Elijah Dukes, had himself a career night going 5-6. He stole two bases, scored two runs, hit the game tying homer in the 8th, and the game winning single in the 14th.

Dukes of Hazard

Dukes has come alive, and is showing Nats fans the potential that Bowden and Acta see In him. His season started so abysmally. Dukes hit below the .100 mark for most of the month of May, it wasn’t just frustrating, it was down right embarrassing. The month of June has been much, much kinder to Dukes however. In this month he is batting .347 with a .437 OBP. He has recorded eight extra base hits and swiped five bags.

Austin Kearns, remember him? Dukes took over for him officially after Kearns went on the DL with ‘loose bodies’ in his elbow on May 22nd. On May 21st Dukes’ batting average was a lowly .067, he finished the last week of May with a more then doubled .160 batting average. Coincidence? You tell me. The bottom line though is that since Kearns has gone to the DL, Elijah Dukes has played at an All-Star level.

The bullpen, thank god for the bullpen

The Nats bullpen got destroyed in Minnesota, to the tune of an above 12 ERA. The Rangers are one of the best hitting teams in baseball, so the prospect of a game in which the bullpen had to pitch 8 innings would in most cases look disastrous for the Nats. The pitching staff stepped up however, pitching 12 shutout innings after allowing 3 runs in the second. This is a good and bad thing. Good, because it was an excellent performance all around. Bad, because the Nats now have a tired bullpen and two more games this series.

Game Notes:

Jesus Flores busted out of a mini slump going 3-6 tonight with 2 RBI. He has continued to show good 2 strike, and 2 out hitting. If he can improve his plate patience there is a very real chance that he could be a .300 hitter in the major leagues, smacking 20 homers a year and driving in close to 100 runs.

Josh Hamilton and the Rangers are comming to town

2008-06-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

This makes me down right giddy. I will say it right now, Josh Hamilton is by far my favorite player in the Major Leagues. What makes sports so special is the stories. The ability of men to overcome adversity despite all odds. Capitalizing on second chances that regular people might not get in actual life, and the overall chance of redemption. Josh Hamilton epitomizes all these values as he has not only incredibly made it to the Majors despite EVERY odd, he is now arguably the best player in all of baseball.

Everyone should not only make the attempt to go to a game this weekend, they should give him a standing ovation when he comes to the plate.

Here is a story I wrote for ‘The Transcript,’ about his incredible journey.

A year ago this month(March) Josh Hamilton arrived in Florida for spring training to a feeling he hadn’t experienced since he was 17; he was wanted. Now 26, Hamilton had seen nothing but confused and disappointed stares for nearly the last decade, and even now at the glance of his 26 tattoo’s he still gets this look from many a fan. He had learned over time to look passed the glares and that the only eyes he had to be able to look into were his own at the mirror. Hamilton knew where he had come from, where he had been, and what he had the power to do.

Five years earlier Hamilton had woken up in the back of a Box Car. He had hoped he wouldn’t. He had been tripping on drugs for the last week and thought he had gone to sleep for the last time. He pulled himself off the steel floor and looked into his reflection in a broken mirror on the other side of the car. What he saw was a once chiseled frame worn down into skin and bones. He saw one of the top baseball prospects in history turned into an anonymous drifter. He saw tattoos he couldn’t remember getting. He couldn’t look into his own eyes in the mirror, he couldn’t even see himself.

Now in Florida he had inexplicably made it back from the darkness. He hadn’t played in a real baseball game since being suspended by the sport years before for drug abuse. He was making up for missed time now. 26 is old for any prospect, much less one who hasn’t played Double or Triple A, and even older for a player who hadn’t swung a bat in five years.The comeback started after the last person in Hamilton’s world had given up on him. Long after he had gone through several failed rehab stints, long after his fortune was squandered, and long after his wife had left him; his grandmother took in her grandson that she didn’t recognize. After a couple of weeks of convincing his grandmother he was clean when he wasn’t, he saw the familiar disappointed look in her eyes. She knew he was using, she was crushed.

Hamilton decided that the only way to get better was to get back to what he loved, baseball. He didn’t do it to make a comeback professionally, but to get his life back together. He began working at a baseball camp, not as a counselor, but as a janitor. He cleaned the bathrooms and the cafeteria and after his work was done he was allowed to work out with the camps equipment. In his time at this Texas purgatory he found God, he found reason, love and baseball.

With only limited preparation and years away from the game, no one could believe that after the third week of spring training he was leading the Reds in batting with an average well over .500. People started to believe in the unbelievable, the infamous Josh Hamilton who’s only shot to play baseball again was to make the Major League club, could possibly actually do it..

He did, and one year later he is now on the Texas Rangers and battling for a starting position. His smile is back, and with it his game. His struggle personifies the never give up attitude of sports, which gives us sports fans the right to hope against odds. While spring is a universal symbol of rebirth, for Josh Hamilton, spring training represents the ultimate second chance story in baseball.

Fast forward to the end of June, Hamilton not only won his starting position but is currently leading the American League in homers and Rbi’s. He has finally fulfilled his potential despite the most unthinkable route to get there. He is currently batting .321 with 19 homers and 74 RBI’s. His play evokes thoughts of Micky Mantle, and his heart thoughts of all the other all time greats. Do your best to make it to the park, and pay adage to the greatest story in recent baseball memory.

After sweeping Seattle, the Nats get swept by the Twins

2008-06-20T08:42:00.000-07:00

One thing you can say about Interleague play is it’s unpredictable, as is the Nats 2008 season. Injuries have truly derailed what was a solid streak for the Nationals in May and mid early June. The pitching staff has disintegrated and the leadership, bat, and swagger in the field Ryan Zimmerman provides has left a hole in this young team. Let’s take a look at who’s playing well, who’s playing worse, and who is making no progress what so ever.

Over the last 6 games

Jesus Flores-COLD- Flores has only gone 5/22 in the last two series which comes out to a .227 batting average. One worry with Flores’ early success was that it was just a fluke in a small sample size, and with his struggles recently this may be coming true. Other explanations for his lack of success recently could be as simple as him just being a young hitter who doesn’t know why he is in a slump. He may also be having trouble facing pitchers he’s never seen before in the American League. It’s a little too early to panic, but Flores bat is a key to the Nats success.

Ronnie Belliard-cool-Belliard has produced better then his pre disabled list self, however in the last six games he has stalled a bit. He is only 5/20 (.250) in the last two series, however he does have three extra base hits. His return to adequacy is good news for the Nats as it ads depth and options to an otherwise depleted line up.

Cristian Guzman-HOT!- Good news, Guzman is playing his best baseball as the trading season approaches. In the last six games Guzman is 10/27 (.370) with yes, ONE WALK. Disregarding the poor defense and relatively empty batting average, Guzman is looking real good right now for a team like the Red Sox, Rays(who have prospects up the Wazoo), or Angels.

Elijah Dukes-Hot- In the last two series he is 9/25(.360) with four runs scored. It was not long ago when Dukes was batting below .100, and he has battled his batting average to be back at .241 with an OBP of .353, one of the best on the team. He is really coming into his own, and if he keeps his attitude straight, may soon be a star in the District.

Shawn Hill-COLDEST, or maybe just inured- He just flat out should not be pitching. In his last two starts he has let up 22 hits, 10 earned runs, and four walks. This is our, “Ace.” What are the Nationals thinking? His arm is not fully healed, and at this point in the season, 12.5 games back, after several managers have already been fired, its pretty much time to start packing it in for the season. Hill should rest.

Nats lose series to Pirates despite good individual play

2008-06-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

With a rough stretch over the last few weeks, the Nats more then welcome interleague play. The Nationals spend the last three games in Pittsburgh not doing really anything very well. The first game was an anomaly, the Nats somehow managed to slug five home runs. The team won only 7-6 however as Tim Redding’s poor start and Luis Ayala’s poor relief appearance put the team’s chances in jeopardy. The next two games didn’t go nearly as well.
Box Score

The Nats wasted a good start from John Lannan again in the second game of the series. Six strong innings with only two earned runs somehow found him with his seventh loss. The Nats had the base runners in this game but no one could convert with runners in scoring position. The team left 20 runners on base combined and only Elijah Dukes recorded an RBI. The Nats fell 3-1 despite great pitching and a team effort on hitting.
Box Score

The third game of the series saw Jason Bergmann record his second consecutive poor start. He only pitched 4.2 innings allowing 8 hits and 6 runs. This is disappointing as in his four previous starts he had pitched 28 innings allowing only 4 runs and 30 K’s. Despite good hitting from the top of the order the Nats didn’t have the bats or the gloves to overtake the Pirates and fell 7-5.
Box Score